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Oooguruk Unit 19th POD approved
Less work planned for latest development plan period from Oct. 1, 2025-Sept. 30, 2026; Hilcorp to continue with PGP project but not EPS
Kay Cashman Petroleum News
On Aug. 28 the Alaska Department of Natural Resources' Division of Oil and Gas approved Hilcorp Alaska's Oooguruk Unit 2025 plan of development, which is the 19th POD for the North Slope unit. This plan will be effective from Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026.
After a busy, productive 18th POD period, less work is planned for the 19th POD period.
(See map in the online issue PDF)
The Oooguruk Unit averaged 6,545 barrels of oil per day in June 2025, up 241 bpd, 3.82%, from a May average of 6,304 bpd and up 17.92% from a June 2024 average of 5,550 bpd.
The proposed 19th POD was submitted to DO&G on July 2.
Hilcorp provided a technical review to the agency on Aug.12.
Unit history The Oooguruk Unit, or OU, was formed effective July 11, 2003, and consisted of approximately 53,344 acres.
Effective July 1, 2019, several leases at the southern end of the unit were removed and the unit area now stands at approximately 35,271 acres.
On Aug. 1, 2019, Eni U.S. Operating Co. became the operator, succeeding Caelus Natural Resources Alaska.
On June 26, 2024, ENI announced that it had entered into a purchase and sale agreement negotiation with Hilcorp for the Nikaitchuq and Oooguruk units.
Hilcorp officially acquired the OU from ENI and was approved as operator on Nov. 1, 2024.
The OU contains three participating areas: Nuiqsut, Kuparuk and Torok.
The OU development consists of an offshore artificial gravel island, the Oooguruk Drill site located just east of the Colville River Delta in Harrison Bay. ODS production is delivered to the Oooguruk Tie-in Pad via a buried subsea flowline bundle and onshore flowlines, metered, and then transferred to the ConocoPhillips Alaska-operated Kuparuk River Unit facilities for final processing and transportation to the sales line.
Average OU oil production for calendar year 2024 was 5,791 bpd a decrease of 860 bpd or 12.9% over the previous calendar year.
Cumulative oil production from the OU is approximately 52.9 million barrels through June 2025.
18th POD work The 18th POD submittal and work commitments were for work ENI committed to conducting if a sale did not go through with Hilcorp.
ENI had planned to drill two new wells, ODSN-05 and ODSN-09, with production scheduled to begin from those wells in 2026.
Additionally, ENI planned to undertake a rig workover on the disposal well ODSDW-44.
Finally, ENI planned to carry out routine maintenance while continuing to progress the Oooguruk Tie-in Pad Partial Gas Processing, or PGP, project and the Electrical Power Sharing, or EPS, project.
After acquiring the OU from ENI, Hilcorp required time to review and assess drilling opportunities.
Subsequently, no grassroots wells were drilled. However, Hilcorp performed work on multiple wells including subsurface safety valve repairs, tubing projects and a gas lift valve changeout in addition to annual routine maintenance.
Hilcorp plans to continue with the PGP project but has no near-term plans to continue with the EPS project.
19th POD plans During the 19th POD period Hilcorp committed to continue reviewing potential drilling opportunities in the OU.
Currently there are no plans to drill grassroots wells nor are there any planned workover operations. Workovers are planned to be conducted as needed to maintain and enhance production. Hilcorp plans to continue with the PGP project by installing structural steel frames and pipe racks in Q3 of 2025.
The company believes the PGP electrical module will be completed and delivered to the site in 2025 and the final tie-in will occur during the 2025 turnaround.
This POD approval is only for a general plan of development. Specific field operations require separate approvals. The 20th POD is due July 2, 2026, 90 days before the 19th POD expires.
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