SAExploration Narwhal seismic approved

Petroleum News

The Alaska Division of Oil and Gas has approved an application from SAExploration for Narwhal Phase II geophysical exploration.

The division said Jan. 4 that the program is a land-based seismic survey on state lands and waters in the Colville Delta area of the North Slope and includes 30 square miles of state lands.

The permit is effective Jan. 4 through tundra closing in 2022.

The division said SAE plans to conduct a 3D seismic survey in an area near Nuiqsut in the Colville River unit and will stage equipment from existing Deadhorse facilities, transporting camp and equipment on existing gravel and ice roads to a point of tundra access. Tracked and wheeled tundra vehicles will be used to move the sled camp along the tundra. The camp will remain near survey activities and will move every two to five days depending on survey progress.

The division said the survey will use approximately nine rubber tracked vibrators to produce an energy source, and 15,000 nodal autonomous recording channels for receivers.

Land within the survey includes state-owned and BLM managed lands in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, as well as Kuukpik Corp. lands. The division said its permit only authorizes seismic operations on state lands.

- Petroleum News