GPTU map released early September

Kay Cashman

Petroleum News

On Sept. 4, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources' Division of Oil and Gas released on its website the latest Greater Point Thomson Unit map, which was dated July 2025.

(See map in the online issue PDF)

As reported in the July 6 issue of Petroleum News, Donkel Oil and Gas' plan of exploration for the Greater Point Thomson Unit, or GPTU, on and offshore the eastern North Slope was recently conditionally approved by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources' Division of Oil and Gas.

On the east the GPTU borders the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Working interest owners are Daniel Donkel and Samuel Cade, with Donkel Oil & Gas as unit operator.

Donkel O&G wanted the GPTU to cover 58,790 acres but based upon the division's review the agency reduced the acreage to 35,122 acres.

The approved unit includes both western and eastern acreage but excludes unleased state lands and the Bachner/Forsgren acreage because unleased lands cannot be in a unit and Bachner/Forsgren didn't ratify the proposed GPTU agreements.

The division excluded leases that its analysis doesn't show contain a hydrocarbon reservoir/accumulation as required by statute and said the company's 5-year exploration plan "fails to show a determined commitment to developing the resources that potentially underlie those leases."

Donkel O&G committed to drill a single well on the western portion of the GPTU.

The division wants two exploration wells drilled -- one in the western acreage and one in the eastern. It requires Donkel O&G to post a $2.5 million bond, with half by June 25, 2026, and half by June 25, 2028. Upon completion of the two exploration wells, the $2.5 million bond will be returned to the applicant.

In a July 3 text to Petroleum News, Jim Winegarner, owner/manager of Three Mountain Oil, said he had traveled to Seoul, Tokyo and Taipei on behalf of Donkel and Cade: "We had very good meetings. All were impressed with the Donkel/Cade technical team and the Greater Pt Thomson Unit technical work presented. All recognized the synergy between the Alaska LNG project and the opportunity to add more resources to the Alaska LNG project at the Greater Pt Thomson Unit.

"Our message to each company was that 'Alaska is open for business and a great place to invest.'

"We have generated a lot of interest in the GPTU opportunity and Alaska."