Walakpa gas field expansion requested

The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has tentatively scheduled a public hearing for May 29 at 9 a.m. at its Anchorage offices on a request for expansion of the area covered by the Walakpa gas pool rules.

Walakpa, along with the East Barrow and South Barrow gas fields, supplies natural gas to the City of Barrow, with the majority of gas coming from Walakpa, according to AOGCC production data.

The North Slope Borough, operator of the Walakpa gas field, is drilling additional development wells in the field. Petrotechnical Resources Alaska is providing technical and management services for the project.

PRA told AOGCC in an April 4 letter that Walakpa wells 11 and 12 have been completed in the eastern portion of the field and drilling of the Walakpa 13 is under way, targeting the Walakpa gas pool in the western portion of the field.

Walakpa 13 extends into section 22 of township 20 north, range 20 west, Umiat Meridian. That section is not included in current pool rules for the Walakpa gas pool, PRA told the commission. The North Slope Borough is requesting that all of section 22 and the north half of section 27 of township 20 north, range 20 west, UM, be included in the pool rules area for the Walakpa gas pool.

These wells are part of a drilling program which includes two wells in the East Barrow field and four wells in the Walakpa field.

Drilling started last fall.

—Kristen Nelson