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Kuparuk '25-'26 POD drilling Torok focused
19 wells in 2024-25 POD, 9 at Coyote drilled or planned, 7 Torok, 3 West Sak; in 2025-26, 12 planned: 7 Torok, 4 West Sak, 1 Coyote
Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
Kuparuk River unit operator ConocoPhillips Alaska will focus drilling during the 2025-26 Kuparuk River plan of development period on the Torok participating area. ConocoPhillips did substantial drilling at the Torok PA in the 2024-25 POD period but drilled or scheduled slightly more wells at the Coyote PA for the Aug. 1, 2024, through July 31, 2025, plan period.
Both PAs were approved in October 2024 with drilling from the 3S and 3T drill sites.
The 2025-26 POD, submitted April 30, was approved by Alaska Department of Natural Resources' Division of Oil and Gas Deputy Director Haley Paine July 10. The 2025-26 POD covers Aug. 1 through July 31, 2026.
ConocoPhillips is the majority working interest owner at Kuparuk; ExxonMobil Alaska Production holds a minority WIO at the unit.
2025-26 Paine said in the decision that the proposed 2025-26 POD includes seven Torok PA wells, four West Sak PA wells and one Coyote PA well.
In its proposed POD, ConocoPhillips had said there would be 10 wells in the Torok PA but later notified the division that three of those wells might be deferred to the 2026-27 POD, although if circumstances permit more Torok drilling in the 2025-26 POD, the three wells would be drilled late in the fourth quarter of the 2025-26 POD period.
The decision said ConocoPhillips intends to continue enriched water-alternating gas as the primary recovery mechanism for the Kuparuk and Tarn PAs, and waterflood for the West Sak, Coyote and Torok PAs.
No turnarounds are planned for the summer of 2025. ConocoPhillips plans to apply to expand the West Sak PA during the 2025-26 POD.
There are seven participating areas at Kuparuk: Kuparuk, Meltwater, Tabasco, Tarn, Torok, Coyote, 3RO and West Sak, with 938 active wells in calendar year 2024, including producers and injectors. Kuparuk production in 2024 averaged 76.7 thousand barrels per day, down 3.7% from a calendar year 2023 average of 79.7 thousand bpd.
2024-25 work Paine said work completed or scheduled to be completed during the 2024-25 POD, which ends July 31, include:
*Seven rotary wells in Torok PA drilled and completed;
*Three West Sak PA wells drilled and completed;
*Two Coyote PA wells drilled and completed, with seven more scheduled by July 31;
*Twenty-three Kuparuk PA workovers, with 16 more scheduled to be completed by July 31;
*Seven West Sak workovers -- including West Sak, Northeast West Sak, 3RO and 1RG PAs;
*Two Tarn PA workovers by July 31;
*One Tabasco PA workover; and
*On-rig scope for Meltwater PA plugging and abandonment.
In addition, drill site 3T was brought online in December 2024 for both Torok and Coyote PA production and new well infrastructure -- two electronic submersible pump producers with multiphase flow meters and two injectors -- installed to support 1H West Sak drilling program.
ConocoPhillips said variances from the approved 2024-24 POD included:
*Original commitment for eight Torok PA wells, six Coyote PA wells and three West Sak PA wells, was updated to seven Torok wells, nine Coyote wells and three West Sak wells by July 31;
*Commitment to apply for expansion of West Sak PA deferred to 2025-25 POD; and
*Hydrocyclone installation completion will be completed by end of summer 2025 instead of end of summer 2024; installation will clean produced water injection for West Sak.
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