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Finnex advancing production, work in Southern Miluveach unit
Kay Cashman Petroleum News
The largest increase in North Slope oil production in March was from the Southern Miluveach unit, which averaged 216 barrels per day in March, compared to a February average of 12 bpd.
The field is operated by Mustang Holding, a Finnex company.
During March one well, North Tarn-1A, was in production for 25 days and a second well, Southern Miluveach Unit M-03A, was online for two days, accounting for just 3% of the March production.
The Southern Miluveach unit, or SMU, began continuous production in December, producing one day each month, December through February. All production came from the North Tarn-1A, the discovery well.
Unit history The SMU was formed on March 31, 2011, and currently contains five tracts covering approximately 8,960 acres. On Dec. 4, 2020, Alaska's Division of Oil and Gas approved Mustang Holding as operator of the SMU, after the previous operator and field developer Brooks Range Petroleum Corp. defaulted on its loan agreement with the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority.
Despite the default initiated by AIDEA, Brooks Range was the first small independent to bring an oil field online on Alaska's North Slope, producing its North Tarn-1A well from the Kuparuk River pool for one month in 2019, a total of 10,999 barrels over 23 days.
Mustang Holding was a wholly owned subsidiary of AIDEA, but ownership of Mustang passed to Finnex on Oct. 27, 2023.
The most significant work done in 2024 during the 10th plan of development, or POD, was the successful drilling and completion of the M-03A and M-01B wells. Additionally, the North Tarn-1A well that was completed in 2012 was prepared to return to production.
Oil production from the SMU began flowing into the Alpine Pipeline on New Year's Eve, Dec. 31, Harry Bockmeulen told Petroleum News that day.
During the 2024, or 10th POD period, and continuing into the 2025 11th POD period, the company reported that early process facilities, or EPFs, are being refurbished when possible, and new equipment is being installed as necessary.
The Kuparuk oil pool in the SMU is a continuation of Kuparuk C and Kuparuk A sands "adjacent to the southwest portion of the Kuparuk River Unit," Mustang Holding told the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
Phase 1, which was completed in the 10th POD period, included re-installation of the production facilities, re-entering existing wells, reconnecting the Mustang Pipeline and returning the field to production.
Additional wells will be drilled in Phase 2 to keep production in the target range of 4,000 barrels per day, and will include expansion of waterflood operations, Mustang Holding told AOGCC.
Depending on results from earlier phases, additional wells will be drilled to bring the total to as many as 11 horizontal or vertical producers and 10 horizontal or vertical injectors. The company said the EPFs would be "debottlenecked or replaced by additional facilities modules if warranted by longer term production results, reservoir performance, and potential third party or multi-horizon Mustang field development."
--KAY CASHMAN
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