Drilling permits for Pikka wells

Eric Lidji

Petroleum News

Armstrong Energy LLC has received drilling permits for its Pikka exploration program.

On Dec. 21, the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission issued permits for the company to drill the Pikka No. 2 exploration well and Pikka No. 2A sidetrack.

The Pikka No. 2 well is designed as a directional well heading westward from ADL 392975. The Pikka No. 2A sidetrack will be a nearly vertical well on ADL 393028.

The well locations are immediately north of the location of the proposed Pikka No. 1 well that the company ultimately cancelled last year at the request of local groups in Nuiqsut.

The purpose of the delineation program is to obtain considerable subsurface information about the southern half of the proposed Nanushuk development area, which has received less attention to date than the northern half. The results of the program could have “have significant impact on the subsurface basis of design,” the company said in earlier filings.

- ERIC LIDJI