On May 15 the Alaska Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Oil and Gas approved Hilcorp Alaska’s lease plan of operations for the Whiskey Gulch stratigraphic well test program on the southern Kenai Peninsula north of Anchor Point.
Hilcorp, which applied for the POO on April 23, anticipates drilling up to five stratigraphic test wells, each up to 600 feet deep, on two state of Alaska subsurface leases and Kenai Peninsula Borough surface land.
The wells will be drilled using a truck-mounted air drilling unit operated by Kraxberger at locations accessible from established roads, the POO approval says.
Project mobilization is scheduled to begin June 1, with site preparation, drilling and well evaluation to start June 18, and project demobilization to get underway on Aug. 1 and be finished by Aug. 5.
Each well will be plugged and abandoned consistent with regulatory requirements.
Strat wells WG-4 and WG-6 will affect ADL 392666 and wells WG-5A, WG-9A and WG-11 will affect ADL 392496.
First batch of Whiskey Gulch wells
According to Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission records Hilcorp previously drilled four 600-foot stratigraphic wells at Whiskey Gulch, plugging and abandoning them late last year - WG-7, WG-10, WG-2 and WG-1B.
WG-7 was on lease KPB ROW; WG-10, WG-2 and WG-1B show in AOGCC records as on unidentified “Fee Private” land.
A fifth strat well was permitted with AOGCC at that time, also on Fee Private estate, but was not drilled.
The confidential results of the four strat test wells that were drilled will be released at the end of December 2021, as will more information on the undrilled fifth well, per AOGCC.
No new roads, structures
No new roads, airstrips or other facilities are planned as part of the five-well program to begin in June. There are also no buildings or structures, solid waste sites or utilities. No fuel and hazardous substances or related storage of such, are planned. All water necessary for operations will be acquired from an approved source.
Cuttings generated by drilling activities will be captured in a tank and transported to an approved disposal facility.
The area required for each stratigraphic test well will be approximately 35-foot by 70-foot. Should ground conditions require, rig mats will be set in place to provide the drill rig unit and support vehicles a firm and stable work surface.
- KAY CASHMAN
