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Beluga River gets volume bounce in 2014 Maintenance activities offsetting natural decline at the ‘fully delineated’ gas field in Cook Inlet, in 47th year of production Eric Lidji For Petroleum News
The Beluga River unit continues to operate in a state of mitigated decline.
As it enters its 47th year of production, the legacy Cook Inlet natural gas field is “fully delineated,” according to a recent plan of development from operator ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc. The Sterling reservoir has declined to 25 percent of its original pressure, down from 30 percent a year ago. As would be expected, deliverability has also declined.
Even with those downward trends, though, annual production increased last year. Beluga River produced 25.1 billion cubic feet in 2014, up from 22.4 bcf in 2013, which suggests that some of the maintenance activities at the field are yielding results.
“Field efforts continue to mitigate well declines, find production enhancing opportunities and improve operational safety and reliability in this mature asset,” the company wrote.
ConocoPhillips (through its predecessor companies) has operated the Beluga River unit since 1986 and is a 33 percent working interest owner in the field, alongside independent producer Hilcorp Alaska LLC and the Anchorage utility Municipal Light & Power.
Maintenance program This year, ConocoPhillips is planning maintenance work on at least eight wells. Its proposed program includes: installation of artificial lift on 212-35T and 232-26 and, if the work proves to be successful, the evaluation of similar activities on 224-34 and 214-26; installation of a velocity string on 232-23; a fill cleanout on 212-25, milling a plug on 244-23; and swabbing and flow testing 211-03, which could lead to additional work.
Many of these projects were either planned for 2014 or grew out of work begun in 2014.
ConocoPhillips had originally intended to conduct rigged workovers on three wells last year. The company completed its program on 244-23 in May 2014 and 242-04 in September 2014 but suspended work on 224-13 “due to operational issues.” The well is currently a candidate for a sidetrack, which ConocoPhillips would drill in 2016.
The artificial lift installations on 212-35T and 232-26 were originally planned for last year but delayed. The project calls for installing an electric submersible pump on 212-35T and a hydraulic submersible pump on 232-26 sometime early this year. The similar installation being considered for 224-34 follows a recent mechanical integrity test.
The flow testing on 211-03 is a continuation of work conducted in May 2014. The current project includes performing a mechanical integrity test, adding perforations and conducting a swab and flow test with an eye toward adding a flow line back to C pad.
ConocoPhillips evaluated clean-out jobs on 212-25 and 212-35. The 212-35 project was scrapped for now. The 212-25 job remains under evaluation. The company also planned to install a velocity string on 232-23 last year but postponed the project to this summer.
Other 2014 projects Other projects from last year include:
•An unsuccessful fishing operation on 211-26 in July 2014.
•A successful clean out of 212-24T in August 2014.
•Re-cylindering of seven wellhead compressor, completed in October 2014.
•Studying a proposal to install a water trunk line at the field. The company ultimately decided to keep studying the project and make a decision no earlier than 2016.
•Studying a proposal to add water storage to an existing DW-2 disposal well. The company ultimately decided that the project was “not necessary at this time.”
•Upgrading water storage capacity at C pad in June 2014
•Studying but ultimately not commissioning a similar project at E pad.
ConocoPhillips completed turnarounds on five Beluga facilities in 2014 - BRWD-1 in April, C pad facilities in April and early May, M pad in May and B pad in May and early June - and other maintenance, repairs and inspections at infrastructure throughout the field.
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