Conoco files BLM application for Willow

Petroleum News

ConocoPhillips has begun the application process with the federal Bureau of Land Management for development of its Willow discovery in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The company has requested that BLM begin the process to develop an environmental impact statement for a development at its Willow discovery in the Bear Tooth unit in NPR-A and said it understands a notice of intent to initiate an EIS could be published in the Federal Register this July.

ConocoPhillips announced the Willow discovery in early 2017, based on results from its 2016 Tinmiaq Nos. 2 and 6 wells. The company said at that time that the discovery could hold 300 million barrels of recoverable oil.

Options for development at Willow include building new production facilities for Willow or tying the development back to production facilities at Alpine.

In its first quarter 2018 earnings call on April 26, Al Hirshberg, the company’s executive vice president of production, drilling and projects, said positive results from Willow appraisal drilling suggest a standalone production facility can likely to justified.

- Petroleum News