Doyon to conduct more Nenana seismic

Doyon Ltd. announced Oct. 7 that is going to conduct a new 2-D seismic survey in the northern part of the Nenana basin, in the Alaska Interior, beginning in January 2016. Characterizing the new survey as an acceleration of its oil and gas exploration program in the basin, the Native regional corporation said that the survey would cover 160 line miles and would continue into April.

Doyon conducted 2-D seismic surveys across wide areas of the basin in 2005 and 2012. The corporation drilled the Nunivak No. 1 exploration well in the central part of the basin in 2009 and the Nunivak No. 2 well, also in that central area, in 2013. While not encountering viable oil or gas pools, the wells provided tantalizing evidence for an active petroleum system, with indications that the basin may contain oil as well as gas.

In the winter of 2014-15 Doyon conducted a 3-D seismic survey in the central part of the basin to add detail to the results of previous 2-D surveys. And the corporation has announced a plan to drill a third well, the Toghotthele No. 1, during the summer of 2016 at a location about two miles north of the previous wells.

James Mery, Doyon vice president for lands and natural resources, has told Petroleum News that the new 2-D survey planned for the coming winter will fill gaps in the reconnaissance survey that the corporation conducted in 2012. The corporation anticipates following up with a 3-D survey in a subsequent season, to upgrade promising leads into prospects, Mery said.

“We liked what we saw in 2012, including the identification of several leads,” he said.

- ALAN BAILEY