Hilcorp looks at 2 more injection wells

Hilcorp Alaska LLC has applied to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to modify an existing underground injection control Class I permit at the Milne Point unit from two wells to four wells.

EPA said the existing Class I UIC permit was issued to BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. in September 2014 and transferred to Hilcorp in November 2014. Hilcorp acquired a 50 percent interest in Milne Point from BP and took over as operator.

The two permitted injection wells are MPB-50 and MPB-24; the additional proposed wells, MPB-51 and MPB-52, would be in close proximity to the existing wells. EPA said the well names are subject to change or correction.

The injection wells are in an area where there are no underground sources of drinking water; an aquifer exemption was issued by EPA in 2004 for aquifers between approximately 2,000 feet, the base of the permafrost, and 4,270 feet true vertical depth and was clarified to include the area delineated by a cylinder of a quarter-mile radius along the well trajectories.

Class I injection wells are used for the deep disposal of industrial waste, including camp grey water, into naturally saline ground water beneath any aquifers which could serve as current or future underground sources of drinking water.

Public notice of the proposed permit modification was issued Dec. 14; comments are due Jan. 14.

- KRISTEN NELSON