Pretty Creek producing gas again

Kristen Nelson, PNA Editor-in-Chief

Unocal Alaska completed the Pretty Creek Unit No. 4 well in the Pretty Creek unit late last year and began using the well as a swing gas producer, putting the unit back into production after a hiatus of some two years. Pretty Creek is northeast of the Beluga gas field on the west side of Cook Inlet.

Unocal shut in the Pretty Creek unit No. 2 in 1999 when it sanded up. The unit had no gas production until the No. 4 was completed in December.

Unocal told the Division of Oil and Gas that during the period of the unit’s 23rd plan of development, which ends Aug. 25, the reserve pit at the Pretty Creek No. 2 well was closed by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation with no corrective actions required because the pit had been previously been back-filled and the exact location was not identified.

Unocal said it will use the No. 4 well as a swing producer due to gas market constraints, closing the well in from June through September and resuming production by October.

The company also said it is evaluating the economics of installing a gas compressor to improve recovery from the Pretty Creek field; installation of that pump may occur during the 24th plan of operation and development, August 2002 to August 2003.