Exploring Northwest Kuparuk, part one in a series

Over the next few weeks Petroleum News Alaska will carry a series of photo features chronicling the winter exploration program at the Northwest Kuparuk prospect, which is located in the shallow waters of the Beaufort Sea between Thetis Island and the Kuparuk River unit.

The oil companies involved are independents Pioneer Natural Resources Co., the operator, and Armstrong Resources LLC, which initially developed the prospect and brought Pioneer to Alaska. They hope to drill three wells at the prospect this winter, the first by either company in Alaska. Pioneer and Armstrong are also the first independents to drill on the North Slope without a major North Slope oil producer as a partner.