Conoco plans small NCIU program

As ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc. is privately marketing its Cook Inlet assets for a potential sale, the company is taking a restrained approach to its legacy North Cook Inlet unit. The company is evaluating opportunities for a potential workover campaign in 2017 and possible opportunities for grass roots wells but will devote its efforts this coming year to regular maintenance and operations, according to a newly filed plan of development.

Pan American Petroleum Corp. discovered the North Cook Inlet Tertiary System Gas Pool in 1962. The offshore field is developed from the Tyonek platform, which connects back to the east side of Cook Inlet and eventually feeds into the Kenai LNG facility.

Today, ConocoPhillips owns the unit outright. North Cook Inlet unit production began in 1969. Through July 2015, the unit had produced nearly 1.9 trillion cubic feet of gas.

This year, ConocoPhillips performed work on four wells: adding nitrogen lift to A-09 in March, changing out a gas-lift valve at A-14 and B-01A in April and making adjustments to A-13 in August to meet requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The company also performed a range of maintenance and upgrades on field infrastructure, including installing of temporary living quarters, upgrading turbine compressors and performing a summer platform turnaround in August.

In 2016, ConocoPhillips plans to continue an ongoing evaluation of potential rigged workovers or drilling opportunities, with an eye toward a 2017 workover program.

Earlier this year, ConocoPhillips announced plans to market its North Cook Inlet and Beluga River units but said it would retain ownership of the Kenai liquefied natural gas export terminal in Nikiski.

- ERIC LIDJI