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Recently OK'd Prudhoe IPA POD shows strong continued drilling
Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
The recently approved 2025 plan of development for the Prudhoe Bay Initial Participating Area -- the oil rim and gas cap -- shows continuation of strong development drilling.
Prudhoe operator Hilcorp North Slope submitted the 2025 POD April 1; the Alaska Department of Natural Resources' Division of Oil and Gas approved it May 21.
Hilcorp's average ownership is 26.36%, the division said; ExxonMobil Alaska Production holds 36.40%; ConocoPhillips Alaska holds 36.08%; and Chevron U.S.A. holds 1.16%.
There are 12 participating areas at Prudhoe, with the initial participating area, IPA, consisting of the oil rim and gas cap participating areas.
In calendar year 2024, the division said the IPA produced some 2.794 billion cubic feet of gas, 52.241 million barrels of black oil and some 16.865 million barrels of natural gas liquids. Average daily production for the IPA was 142,736 barrels of black oil and 46,082 barrels of NGLs.
Comparing Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission 2024 production data for the entire Prudhoe field with IPA production, the IPA accounted for 68% of Prudhoe black oil production and 93% of Prudhoe NGL production.
2024 POD The division said that in the 2024 POD Hilcorp North Slope committed to a combined 36 grassroots and sidetrack wells, including "up to" two injection wells for the PAVE, pressure and vaporization enhancement, drilling campaign, with workovers on an as needed basis.
There was to be evaluation of facility upgrades to increase or enhance production, including compressor upgrades at the central compressor plant, CCP, and air inlet housing replacement at that facility, along with FS-2 de-oiler installation and EWE pipeline installation to debottleneck west end production.
The division said Hilcorp completed all proposed 2024 commitments, including:
*Drilling the PAVE 3-1 grassroots well;
*Drilling 22 sidetracks with 15 more scheduled to be completed prior to the end of the 2024 POD period (June 30 this year);
*13 workovers, with three more scheduled to be completed prior to the end of the POD period; and
*All proposed facility upgrades.
2025 POD For the 2025 POD, July 1 through June 30, 2026, Hilcorp has committed to one new grassroots well, PAVE GC1, and 39 sidetracks, with three workovers scheduled and additional workovers as needed.
The division said Hilcorp will continue monitoring SWOP, the seawater optimization plan, and will evaluate facility upgrades "aimed at increasing or enhancing production capacity ... with progress contingent on project economics and resources availability."
Potential upgrades include:
*2025 planned scope of work for CCP compressor upgrades;
*GC2 interstage separator;
*GC2 LPS compressor upgrades;
*Omega pad;
*2025 scope for EWE pipeline;
*2025 scope for FS-2 de-oiler; and
*2025 scope for CCP air intake housing replacement.
--KRISTEN NELSON
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