ConocoPhillips applies to expand Kuparuk River pool area

Kristen Nelson

ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc. has applied to the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to expand the Kuparuk River oil pool area and the Kuparuk River injection area. The commission has tentatively scheduled a hearing for Oct. 29, but also said that if it did not receive any requests to hold a hearing by Oct. 17 it may issue an order on the applications without a hearing.

The company applied to the Department of Natural Resources Division of Oil and Gas for expansion of the Kuparuk River unit in August, and the proposed pool and injection area expansion covers a portion of this same area to the west of the exiting unit at the Palm discovery, where ConocoPhillips is developing drill site 3S to produce the oil and plans to begin production later this year.

The company told the state in its unit expansion application that portions of leases in the Palm area are planned to be developed in the winter 2002 and 2003 drilling seasons, targeting the hydrocarbon accumulation discovered in the Palm exploration program.

Both the Palm No. 1 and No. 1A wells “penetrated reservoir quality sands in the Kuparuk C4 interval,” the company said, and well testing in April produced a final rate of 2,350 barrels per day of 26 degree API gravity oil. The Palm wells are in communication with the main Kuparuk reservoir.

The area proposed for the pool rules expansion includes sections, 1, 2, 11-16 and 21-24 in township 12 north and range 7 east, Umiat Meridian.