Sidebar: Old data

Kay Cashman

Petroleum News

When Congress created the 19 million acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 1980, it set aside 1.57 million acres for resource development, known as the 1002 Area, because of its oil and gas potential.

The assessment of the 1002 Area- s resource potential of 7.3 billion barrels of economically recoverable oil is based on 1,450-line miles of 2D seismic data undertaken by the U.S. Geological Survey for a 1987 report.

While this data has been repeatedly reinterpreted by geologists using the best available methods, the data itself is three decades old. Although valuable for understanding the area's general geologic characteristics, the data can be improved by detailed mapping of structural and stratigraphic prospects. More reliable oil and gas resource estimates can be obtained through a low-impact campaign of carefully planned 3D seismic surveys, an Oct. 23, 2024, AIDEA resolution said.

--KAY CASHMAN