Hilcorp to replace piles at Prudhoe Bay

Petroleum News

Prudhoe Bay unit operator Hilcorp Alaska has received approval from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources' Division of Oil and Gas for pipe rack pile replacements at the field.

A Dec. 29 approval is for replacement of 12 piles along the existing Drill Site 6 to Flow Station 1 pipe rack at Prudhoe to address subsidence issues. Hilcorp said the new piles will be driven in by the vibratory method and abandoned piles will be cut and capped.

Three ice pads will be constructed in the project area, which is some 3 miles north of Deadhorse.

A Jan. 6 approval is for replacing some 33 piles at Drill Site 16 to support the existing pipe rack to address subsidence issues.

The piles will be driven by vibratory method and abandoned piles will be cut and capped. The work will be done from ice pads to be permitted separately. Work is scheduled to begin Feb. 1 and be completed by May. Drill Site 16 is some 5 miles east of Deadhorse.

Two Jan. 20 approvals are for work at Drill Site 6 and Drill Site 12.

The Drill Site 6 authorization is for replacement of some 21 piles to support the existing pipe rack and remedy subsidence issues. A crane on the pad will lift a vibratory hammer and piles into the appropriate location to eliminate any off-pad surface impact, with work scheduled to begin Feb. 15 and be completed by March.

The Drill Site 12 approval is for replacement of some six piles to support the existing pipe rack and remedy subsidence issues. As with Drill Site 6, work will involve use of a crane on the pad to lift the vibratory hammer and piles into location to eliminate any off-pad surface impact, with work scheduled to begin Feb. 1 and be completed by May.

--Petroleum News