State approves North Slope seismic survey

Alaska’s Division of Oil and Gas has approved a permit allowing Geokinetics Inc. to conduct a 3-D seismic survey during the winter of 2016-17 over about 64 square miles of state land on the North Slope about 40 miles southwest of Deadhorse. The area of the survey, called the Itkillik survey, lies south of the village of Nuiqsut and about seven miles west of the 2P pad of the Kuparuk River unit. It appears to cover four leases operated by Great Bear Petroleum.

Great Bear has been conducting a series of 3-D surveys over its extensive lease position to the south of Prudhoe Bay in a search for both conventional oil targets and opportunities for unconventional development in the region’s prolific oil source rocks.

The division says that Geokinetics will mobilize its crews and equipment from the company’s Deadhorse facility. The project will make use of tundra travel as well as existing roads, highways and trails. A temporary ice pad may need to be constructed.

During surveying operations, 12 to 15 tracked vibrators operating in a north-south pattern along lines 500 to 900 feet apart will generate seismic signals. The reflected signals will be recorded using wireless nodes placed 50 to 100 feet apart. Operations will proceed around the clock, with crew members working 12 to 14 hour shifts.

During the summer following the survey, a cleanup operation will remove any debris not located and removed during demobilization after survey completion.

- ALAN BAILEY