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AOGCC issues pool rules, injection order for Aurora, a west Prudhoe Bay satellite Commission revises previous rules for development of Kuparuk River formation at Prudhoe to reflect current practice Kristen Nelson PNA Editor-in-Chief
The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission issued pool rules and an area injection order for a west Prudhoe Bay satellite, the Aurora oil pool, Sept. 7.
The commission noted that the Department of Natural Resources Division of Oil and Gas approved an expansion of the Prudhoe Bay unit and formation of an initial Aurora participating area in December, providing for automatic expansion of the participating area as wells are drilled within defined expansion areas. The commission said its order includes any expansion to the initial Aurora participating area.
A 1999 appraisal well, the V-200, was drilled from an ice pad. Evaluation and development of Aurora has been from S pad in the Prudhoe Bay unit. Three wells were drill in 2000; six to eight producers and three to four injectors are planned for the second phase, with six of those wells drilled or planned for 2001.
Field operator BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. estimates 110 million to 146 million barrels of original oil in place. Primary oil recovery was estimated at 12 percent and water flood recovery at 34 percent.
BP told the commission at a July 24 hearing that it would be ready to start water flood operations the first week in August — subject to the commission issuing pool rules and an injection order. The commission said it would keep the record of the hearing open through the end of July for additional information it wanted from BP, and couldn't promise a decision by the first week in August.
Aurora production is expected to peak at 14,000-16,000 bopd with a maximum water injection rate of 20,000-30,000 bpd. Thirty million standard cubic feet a day of gas will be used for artificial lift in the Aurora wells.
A gravel expansion of S pad to accommodate additional wells was completed in April 2000. Additional facilities expansion include a new production manifold system to accommodate up to 20 Aurora wells and an extension of an existing six inch water injection supply line.
Previous orders for this formation Previous commission orders defined the Kuparuk River formation at Prudhoe and prescribed rules for development and operation of the pool, the same accumulation now being defined as the Aurora oil pool. The commission concluded that existing pool rules for the Kuparuk River formation are no longer entirely suitable for Aurora participating area development.
The previous order required installation of sub-surface safety valves, which the commission no longer requires. The commission ordered that Aurora participating area wells must have equipment installed which would allow the addition of subsurface safety valves, should it decide to require them in the future.
Surface safety valve systems are required.
In addition to BP, working interest owners include Phillips Petroleum Co., Exxon Mobil Corp. and Forest Oil. The participating area is on state lands.
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