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Amendments to Ninilchik POD for 4 wells, 2 each at Paxton, Pearl
Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
Hilcorp Alaska has received approval from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Oil and Gas to add three wells to its Ninilchik unit plan of development: Paxton 12, Pearl 10 and Pearl 11.
A separate plan of operations amendment decision includes a second Paxton well, Paxton 13.
The division said in its March 6 approval of an amendment of the 18th plan of development for Ninilchik that Hilcorp plans to drill the three wells in the first quarter of the year.
Hilcorp also applied to the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission for spacing exceptions for the wells. It told the commission it planned to spud the first well around March 1, but as of March 10, no drilling permits for the wells had been issued by the commission.
Hilcorp described the wells as “delineation wells targeting unproven reserves in the Beluga and Tyonek Formations within the Undefined Gas Pool and within the Beluga/Tyonek Pool” defined in AOGCC conservation order 701C.
Both the Paxton and Pearl pads are being expanded to accommodate the new wells.
Hilcorp received approval from the division to expand the Paxton pad last August; a Pearl pad expansion was approved earlier in March.
In January, the most recent month for which AOGCC production data is available, Ninilchik was the most productive of the Cook Inlet natural gas fields, accounting for 22.3% of natural gas production in that month.
Paxton wells In a separate decision, on March 9, the division approved a Ninilchik unit plan of operations amendment for two grass roots wells at the Paxton pad. One of the wells, Paxton 12, was also included in the March 6 decision. This approval also includes the Paxton 13.
The division said that in addition to drilling the project includes “installation of associated infrastructure including gas flowlines, electrical instrumentation, well cellars, and conductors.”
Drilling and testing for Paxton 12 will occur first. The division said the Paxton pad is some 4 miles northeast of Ninilchik on privately owned surface and subsurface.
Hilcorp said the timeframe for drilling and construction activities at the Pearl and Paxton pads is expected to be March 10 to June 2.
- KRISTEN NELSON
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