THE INDEPENDENTS 2003: Anadarko buys ChevronTexaco’s 30% interest in NPR-A leases

On Sept. 23, Anadarko Petroleum’s spokesman in Alaska confirmed rumors that the Houston-based independent had purchased ChevronTexaco’s lease interests in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

“We acquired all of Chevron’s 30 percent interest in the (33) leases it had in NPR-A,” Mark Hanley told Petroleum News. “Chevron’s interest is being transferred to Anadarko and should be recorded in the next few days.”

The 33 leases, which are in the Northeast NPR-A, were originally owned by a partnership of BP Exploration (Alaska) (50 percent), ChevronTexaco (30 percent) and ConocoPhillips Alaska (20 percent). In a deal driven by Anadarko, it and NPR-A partner ConocoPhillips acquired BP’s 50 percent interest in the 33 leases earlier this year. Hanley would not comment on whether or not ConocoPhillips will exercise its partnership option on the 30 percent interest Anadarko purchased from Chevron. All the leases owned by the companies in NPR-A are jointly owned. Lease records show either a 78/22 split or a 60/40 split — both in favor of ConocoPhillips.

The 33 leases acquired from BP and Chevron include the Trailblazer prospect northwest of Nuiqsut where BP, in partnership with ChevronTexaco and ConocoPhillips, drilled two exploration wells in the first part of 2001, the G-1 Trailblazer and the H-1 Trailblazer.

A U.S. Bureau of Land Management official said Sept. 24 that the H-1 Trailblazer well has been “plugged and permanently abandoned, and the wellhead totally removed.” However, the official said the Christmas tree was left at G-1 Trailblazer “in case the operator wanted to go back in. But they’ve since decided not to and are waiting” for the right ground and weather “conditions to go back out there and remove the valves and pipes.” Both wells have been “plugged and permanently abandoned according to state and federal standards.”