EnCana to file second season exploration plan for McCovey

Kay Cashman, PNA publisher

U.S. Minerals Management Service officials told Petroleum News Alaska Jan. 22 that they expect EnCana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. to submit applications for a second season of exploration for the McCovey prospect. EnCana, a Calgary-based independent, is operator of the central Beaufort Sea unit, which includes three federal and four state of Alaska leases about five miles northeast of Reindeer Island, 12 miles due east of the Northstar field and 12.5 miles northeast of West Dock at Prudhoe Bay.

“They’ve told our people they are going to be filing an exploration plan for next season. We expect it any day,” MMS spokeswoman Robin Cacy told PNA Jan. 22.

The agency had no details on whether or not EnCana has drilled, or plans to drill, a sidetrack this season to the well the company spud Dec. 6 at McCovey. A sidetrack was included in EnCana’s first exploration plan for the prospect.

A plan by former McCovey operator Phillips Alaska to drill from an ice island raised concerns for Bowhead whales. By mutual agreement EnCana became the operator and the project was redesigned to drill the prospect from the SDC (steel drilling caisson), a bottom-founded Arctic drilling platform, managed by Fairweather E&P Services of Anchorage.

The drillship was moved into position before the fall whaling season and put into quiet mode Aug. 14. According to the exploration plan, activity is supposed to be wrapped up before spring breakup.

If commercial quantities of oil are found, EnCana has said the SDC could, with modification, be used for the development platform.

ChevronTexaco and ConocoPhillips are partners with EnCana in McCovey.