ConocoPhillips Alaska, operator of the Kuparuk River unit, filed the 2024 plan of development for the unit with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources' Division of Oil and Gas on May 15. The 2024 POD covers Aug. 1 through July 31, 2025. ConocoPhillips is the majority working interest owner at Kuparuk, with some 90%, while Exxon Mobil Production Alaska and Chevron USA combined hold the remaining working interest.
The 2024 POD proposes 17 new wells and a new drill site along with other facilities/infrastructure work.
Eight of the wells are in the proposed Torok participating area, a Moraine reservoir, six in the proposed Coyote PA, a Nanushuk reservoir, and three in the West Sak PA.
ConocoPhillips said the Coyote and Torok PAs are awaiting a DNR decision.
Field statistics
ConocoPhillips provided statistics for the unit as of the end of 2023.
There were 774 active wells in the Kuparuk PA (403 producers and 371 injectors); 115 active wells in the West Sak PA (55 producers and 60 injectors); 54 active wells in the Tarn PA (33 producers and 21 injectors); two active wells at Coyote (one producer and one injector); and six active wells in the Torok (three producers and three injectors). Active wells, the company said, are those which produced or injected between Jan. 1, 2023, and Dec. 31, 2023.
A previously active PA, Meltwater, is shut-in, and ConocoPhillips said it is in the process of plugging and abandoning Meltwater wells.
Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission data show 2023 Kuparuk production of 29,094,508 barrels of oil, down from a 2022 total of 29,821,560 barrels.
2024 POD
ConocoPhillips said reservoir management at Kuparuk "is focused on optimizing the life cycle of the sub-surface depletion processes or primary production, water flooding, and enriched gas flooding."
In the Kuparuk and Tarn participating areas, enriched gas water-alternating gas, EWAG, is the primary recovery mechanism, while in the West Sak PA waterflood is the primary recovery method.
ConocoPhillips said conformance remediation treatments -- gel, cement or mechanical isolation -- are used to target additional resources and are prioritized based on oil rate.
At the proposed Coyote PA, waterflood will be the primary recovery mechanism, with water alternating gas being evaluated as a future recovery mechanism.
Waterflood will also be the primary recovery mechanism at the proposed Torok PA, with water alternating gas planned as a future recovery mechanism.
The company said it plans to pursue development of the Torok, Coyote and West Sak participating areas in 2024-25, with eight wells planned in the Torok PA, six in the Coyote PA and three in the West Sak PA.
To accommodate Torok and Coyote production, a new drill site, 3T, is planned, ConocoPhillips said. At West Sak, new well infrastructure is planned: two electronic submersible pump producers with multiphase flow meters and two injectors are being installed at drill site 1H.
The company said facility infrastructure plans also include chemical upgrades, variable frequency drives and a new 6-inch water injection header.
To accommodate Coyote production, capacity will be increased at drill site 3S, including upgrading the water injection line, the produced oil line and the production heaters.
This summer hydrocyclones will be installed at drill site 1H to clean produced water injection of West Sak.
The company plans to expand the West Sak PA during the 2024 POD.
This summer turnarounds are planned for CPF1 -- primary separator inspection -- and for CPF3 -- fuel gas and pipeline tie-ins.
2023 work completed
ConocoPhillips said "notable activities" that have been completed or will be completed by the end of the 2023 POD on July 31 include:
*Six rotary wells into the Torok (Moraine) reservoir from drill sites 3S and 3T are or will be completed by July 31.
*Three West Sak rotary wells will be completed by July 31.
*One Ugnu tract water source well.
*Coyote (Nanushuk reservoir) -- one well completed and a second drilled by July 31.
*Kuparuk PA: 18 workovers completed as of May; eight more scheduled to be completed by July 31.
*West Sak participating areas -- West Sak PA, Northeast West Sak PA, 3RO PA and 1RG PA -- six workovers completed as of May with three more scheduled to be completed before July 31.
*Tarn PA -- two workovers completed.
*Tabasco PA -- one workover completed with two more to be completed by July 31.
*Kuparuk PA -- four workover sidetrack opportunities completed.
*Meltwater PA -- plugging and abandonment progressing; two scheduled to be completed by July 31.
*Applications for Torok and Coyote participating areas, and application to expand KRU to include lease ADL 392374.
*Approval by DNR of 3RO PA on Nov. 15, 2023.
--KRISTEN NELSON
