Aurora encouraged by gas test results at Nicolai Creek

Kristen Nelson, PNA editor-in-chief

Aurora Gas LLC has re-completed three zones at its No. 3 Nicolai Creek gas well and is encouraged by the results, David Boelens, vice president of Aurora Gas, told PNA.

Boelens said the company is not ready to release results from a short production test, but is “very pleased” by the results.

The No. 3 Nicolai Creek well is back in production, he said, and work continues at the field.

Boelens said Aug. 15 that the company was rigging up for the No. 1B Nicolai Creek sidetrack. Once the sidetrack is complete, he said, the company will drill a new well, the No. 8 Nicolai Creek.

If the wells are commercial, he said, the company would build a pipeline and a common compressor plant for the wells. Once the drilling equipment is off location the compressor, dehydrator and separator would be installed on the pad next to the wells and then the pipeline would be built.

The goal, Boelens said, is to do the pipeline before the weather gets cold.

Aurora began gas sales from the Nicolai Creek unit last October. The company purchased interests of Unocal and Marathon in the Nicolai Creek gas field in early 2000. Wells had been drilled in the field when companies were looking for oil and some gas was used in field operations.

The Nicolai Creek No. 3 well had been shut in for more than 20 years and Aurora cleaned out the well, re-perforated and gravel packed it in December 2000.

In February 2001 the well tested 4 million cubic feet of gas a day from five commingled perforated intervals of the Upper Tyonek formation at depths of 1,900 to 2,380 feet.