Buccaneer planning Kenai seismic

Eric Lidji

For Petroleum News

Buccaneer Alaska LLC is permitting a 3-D seismic campaign on the Kenai Peninsula.

The local subsidiary of the Australian independent Buccaneer Energy Ltd plans to shoot 30 square miles in and around the city of Kenai, in the vicinity of its Kenai Loop field.

Buccaneer plans to use a combination of seismic vibrations and shot hole techniques, and would use a cable-free recording system to avoid having to cross any rivers or creeks.

The vibration work, also known as vibroseis, would take place in populated areas, and would involve two 40,000-pound truck mounted vibrators. For areas of the survey located off the road system, Buccaneer plans to bring in a rig by helicopter to drill 25-foot shot holes. Those would be spaced some 369 feet apart and loaded with 2.2-pound charges.

Buccaneer estimates that around 40 percent of the survey is in “urban” areas.

The receiver lines would run north to south and would be spaced 1,155 feet apart. The source lines would run northwest to southeast and would be spaced 1,485 feet apart.

Buccaneer said it has already met with local official and private landowners nearby.

Weems Geophysical would conduct the seismic program.

The Alaska Division of Oil and Gas is taking comments through Feb. 24.

Buccaneer brought the Kenai Loop online in January after drilling two wells at the field. The Kenai Loop No. 1 well tested at 10 million cubic feet per day and is currently in production while the Kenai Loop No. 3 well was a dry hole that might be used for non-production purposes in the future. The company must drill an additional well at the field to meet its contractual commitments, but would like to drill a fourth, if resources permit.

The company also wants to acquire 3-D seismic at its other two onshore Cook Inlet prospects this year: West Eagle, a nearly 50,000-acre block of leases in the southern Kenai Peninsula, and West Nicolai, a prospect on the west side of the Cook Inlet.