Gas commercialization remains priority for ExxonMobil in Alaska

Exxon Mobil Corp. has about 210,000 barrels a day of production in Alaska, primarily on the North Slope, Jim Branch, Alaska region manager of ExxonMobil told the Alaska Support Industry Alliance “Meet Alaska” conference in Anchorage Jan. 28. Worldwide, he said, the company has production of about 2.5 million barrels a day of liquids and more than 11 billion cubic feet of natural gas.

And, he said, “In a bit of new business for our staff, we’ll be beginning to look after the previous Mobil interests in the Cook Inlet which include the Granite Point field.”

On the North Slope, he said, ExxonMobil “will continue to remain focused on the same key opportunities that we’ve been advancing with our partners ARCO, BP Amoco, Phillips and others.” The company continues “to see opportunities in the mature fields such as Prudhoe Bay, Point McIntyre and Endicott” and is participating in new and expanded enhanced oil recovery projects in all three fields as well as in satellite development opportunities around Prudhoe Bay.

Branch said that commercialization of North Slope gas remains high on the company’s list of priorities. ExxonMobil will continue to work its proprietary AGC 21 gas to liquids conversion technology and “we’re actively working to advance a possible Alaska gas to liquids project while keeping our options open for all available commercialization opportunities.”

At Point Thomson, where ExxonMobil is the field operator, Branch said “we continue to work very closely with all the owners to find a development option that is viable.”

There is no gas transportation system, so “in recent years the owners have focused more on a gas cycling project which would allow the development of the liquid reserves in the near term, yet retain the opportunity to see gas later.”

He urged state and local government to “maintain a stable and supportive business climate.