ConocoPhillips, Oil Search give up leases

Petroleum News

The Alaska Division of Oil and Gas said recently that ConocoPhillips Alaska has surrendered five state oil and gas leases and Oil Search (Alaska) and Repsol E&P USA have surrendered 14 leases.

The division said in a July 29 surrender of lease that ConocoPhillips Alaska surrendered two leases, ADL 393669 and ADL 393672, adjacent leases south of the boundary of the ConocoPhillips-operated Kuparuk River unit. Both leases had effective dates of July 1, 2018. ConocoPhillips submitted a written surrender on June 30, the division said.

In an Aug. 5 notice the division said ConocoPhillips surrendered three leases, ADL 392683, ADL 392685 and ADL 392686. The three lie south and southeast of Liberty in state waters of the Beaufort Sea. The leases had effective issue dates of Aug. 1, 2015, the division said. ConocoPhillips submitted a written surrender of the leases July 28.

Oil Search (Alaska) LLC and Repsol E&P USA LLC surrendered 14 leases, the division said in an Aug. 5 surrender of lease notice.

Eight of the leases (ADL 392538, ADL 392705, ADL 392706, ADL 392707, ADL 392708, ADL 392709, ADL 392710 and ADL 393580) are in a group in state waters of the Beaufort Sea north of Eni’s Oooguruk unit. Four (ADL 392711, ADL 392712, ADL 393743 and ADL 393744) are in another group west of Oooguruk. The remaining two (ADL 393745 and ADL 393746) are adjacent to each other farther west.

One of the leases had an effective date of Jan. 1, 2014; eight had effective dates of Aug. 1, 2015; one had an effective date of April 1, 2018; and four had effective dates of May 1, 2019.

In an Aug. 12 notice, the division said two leases held by Brooks Range Petroleum Corp. automatically terminated due to failure to pay rental. The two leases, ADL 391284 and ADL 391285, are in the Beaufort Sea, one adjacent to the Badami unit and the other adjacent to the first on the east. The division’s current notification lessee map shows BRPC retaining three leases immediately south of those terminated.

- Petroleum News