Franklin Bluffs camp app withdrawn

The previous issue of Petroleum News carries a story about Black Gold Oilfield Services filing for a year-round, 100-man camp on the state-owned Franklin Bluffs gravel pad in support of Great Bear Petroleum’s year-round drilling program from October of this year to September 2016. The article was triggered by a Sept. 14 public notice by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources’ Northern Region Land Office.

Sept. 14 is the day Great Bear filed its plan of operations for its “North Slope Alaska 2011-2012 Exploration & Evaluation Program” with DNR’s Division of Oil and Gas. In its proposal Great Bear says it had been considering a camp at Franklin Bluffs, but had decided “for the safety of personnel” to instead use a 65-man camp at the drill site. (It will be moved with the rig.)

Black Gold had not actually named Great Bear in its application, which was unusual, so when the land office called to find out which operator would be using the camp, Black Gold chief, Jim Huffman, said he had to check with SolstenXP. He then called DNR’s land office back with Great Bear’s name and the notice was posted.

After seeing the public notice, a Great Bear representative called the land office and said there was no deal with Black Gold on a camp, reiterating Great Bear’s decision to put a 65-man camp on drill site with the rig.

The land office could not explain what happened and Black Gold pulled it application.

—Kay Cashman