ConocoPhillips stakes three Tinmiaq wells

ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc. has staked three well locations in the Willow region.

In late September, the local subsidiary of the global independent exploration and production company provided notices of staking for the Tinmiaq No. 7, Tinmiaq No. 8 and Tinmiaq No. 9 wells, according to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

The three proposed well locations are spread across a relatively contained section of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Tinmiaq No. 7 is staked on AA 81810 at the far western edge of the Greater Mooses Tooth unit. Tinmiaq No. 8 is staked a few miles to the south on AA 92673, on a lease contiguous to the southwest corner of Greater Mooses Tooth. Tinmiaq No. 9 is staked to the north on AA 81747, in the Bear Tooth unit.

Well staking is a preliminary phase in the exploration process. As ConocoPhillips has explained to Petroleum News in previous years: “Filing notice of staking forms is a routine action to provide flexibility as we evaluate and try to obtain regulatory approvals for possible activity in those areas, but it is not a given that anything will move forward.”

That said, the company recently announced plans to use one rig to drill three exploration wells this coming winter in a region of the NPR-A around its previous Willow discovery.

ConocoPhillips announced the 300 million barrel Willow oil discovery at the Greater Mooses Tooth unit in January 2017 based on the Tinmiaq No. 2 and Tinmiaq No. 6 wells.

One goal of the upcoming exploration program is to determine whether to develop Willow as an Alpine satellite connected through the new CD-5 pad or as a standalone project with independent facilities at Greater Mooses Tooth. A satellite would likely produce some 40,000 to 50,000 bpd while an independent field could reach 100,000 bpd.

The Willow discovery involves the Nanushuk formation, which has become the most important trend in North Slope exploration activities over the past three years.

ConocoPhillips also plans to drill two more exploration wells this winter, one targeting a prospect south of the CD-5 pad and the other in the former Tofkat unit area.

- ERIC LIDJI