Exploration well update for 2003-2004 drilling season

Kay Cashman, Petroleum News publisher & managing editor

In the Aug. 17 edition Petroleum News ran a story in the Exploration & Production section titled, ‘Tis the season for drilling: Forecast for North Slope exploration drilling up slightly from last year. Since that time Anadarko Petroleum has said it will not drill a new exploration well this coming winter. (See full story in the Sept. 7 edition of Petroleum News.)

This winter, based on pre-permitting discussions between government agencies and oil companies, it looks as though six outpost wells and between four and seven wildcats will be drilled on Alaska’s North Slope for total of 10-13 oil exploration wells.

Here is the breakdown:

• ConocoPhillips 2-3 wildcats, likely in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, and 6 outpost wells, 5 at Kuparuk, and 1 at Titania, a Colville unit expansion area

• Armstrong Alaska: 1-3 wildcats, Northwest Milne prospect (See page 1 story in Aug. 17 edition.)

• Total: 1 wildcat, NPR-A

Editor’s note: The ConocoPhillips wells mentioned above have not, to our knowledge, been sanctioned by the company, although some of them are part of exploration drilling commitments previously made to the state. Company sanction usually happens closer to the drilling season.