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ConocoPhillips (Alaska) files for two Puviaq wells in NPR-A
Kristen Nelson, PNA editor-in-chief
ConocoPhillips (Alaska) Inc. is moving ahead with plans to drill exploration wells this winter in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska south of Smith Bay near the Puviaq site where the company stored a drilling rig over the summer on an insulated ice pad.
The company has filed to drill two exploration wells, the Puviaq No. 1 and No. 2, in the northwestern area of the northeast planning area of the NPR-A: Puviaq 1 at 1,147 feet from the north line and 805 feet from the west line of section 35, township 16 north, range 10 west, Umiat Meridian; and the Puviaq 2 at 247 feet FNL and 1,645 feet FWL of section 16 T15N-R10W, UM. ConocoPhillips said up to four reservoir penetrations (two wells and two sidetracks) may be drilled at each Puviaq location during the winter drilling seasons between December 2002 and June 2004.
Wells will be accessible by aircraft, rolligon trails and/or ice roads across the frozen tundra. The company said rolligons or other all terrain vehicles may be used to mobilize a small camp, equipment and personnel needed to construct the initial ice pad, portions if the ice road (if constructed), airstrip and potential storage area. Rig stored near site The drilling rig slated for use at the Puviaq sites was stored over the summer on an insulated ice pad near the Puviaq No. 1 exploration drilling site; the Puviaq No. 2 location is several miles from the drill rig storage location.
Subject to regulatory approval, the company said, ice roads and pads may be constructed in selected areas, e.g. staging pad on private lands in Barrow, as soon as mid to late November to early December.
“This early access situation could yield a spud date in late December, 2002-early January, 2003,” ConocoPhillips said. The company said well drilling would not begin until the well pad is accessible by ice road or rolligon trail from Barrow, Camp Lonely or the Alpine or Kuparuk oil fields, not before an airstrip is operational in the area.
The company said that if it opts to perform additional exploration drilling operations in the Puviaq area beyond the winter of 2002-03, the drilling rig would again be stored on an insulated ice pad.
Depending on logistical arrangements, the exploration drilling program may include: an ice road/rolligon trail from Kuparuk to Puviaq connecting the Kuparuk road system; an ice road/rolligon trail from Barrow to Puviaq for drilling supplies; a rolligon trail from Camp Lonely to haul a small camp and ancillary material to the Puviaq site for ice pad construction; and mobilization, drilling and demobilization of the drilling rig.
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