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Conoco to expand 2 Kuparuk drilling pads
Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
Kuparuk River field operator ConocoPhillips Alaska has applied to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Oil and Gas to amend its unit plan of operations for the field for two pad expansions.
This work is in addition to the ongoing construction of Drill Site 2S in the southwest corner of the field, expected to come online at the end of the year to accommodate 24 wells and produce some 8,000 gross barrels per day at peak. That drill site will develop a Kuparuk reservoir accumulation in the southwest corner of the unit discovered by ARCO in the late 1980s. ConocoPhillips appraised the discovery in early 2012 with the Shark Tooth No. 1 well. ConocoPhillips received partner approval for the development in late 2014.
DS-2G pad expansion The first expansion application, received by the division in early February, is for an expansion of the Drill Site 2G pad in the south central portion of the field.
ConocoPhillips said the expansion would require the placement of some 8,596 cubic yards of gravel fill material onto tundra to expand the existing pad by some 1.17 acres, accommodating nine new wells and associated infrastructure. The company said in its description that the project would include installation of new header and tie-in lines, nine well houses and a new remote electrical and instrument module to support the new wells.
Project work is expected to begin Aug. 1 this year and be completed by Aug. 1, 2016.
DS-3O pad expansion The division received a unit plan of operations amendment in early March for expansion of the Drill Site 3O pad. DS-3O is at the northern edge of the unit, just south of Oliktok Point.
This expansion will require placement of some 16,842 cubic yards of gravel fill material onto tundra to expand the existing pad to the north and northwest by some 1.75 acres, with the expansion described as needed to accommodate new wells and infrastructure which will be permitted at a future date. As with the DS-2G expansion, project work is expected to begin Aug. 15 this year and be completed by Aug. 1, 2016.
The division is accepting comments on both applications by June 8.
Alaska projects continuing While ConocoPhillips has announced companywide cuts in response to the drop in oil prices, the company has said it is proceeding with major projects announced for Alaska. In addition to the DS-2S construction, that includes work on CD-5 in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, development of Northeast West Sak and a seismic shoot at Greater Mooses Tooth 1 in NPR-A.
—A copyrighted oil and gas lease map from Mapmakers Alaska was a research tool used in preparing this story.
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