By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Dec. 17 -- Forest Oil Corp., which holds a 100% working interest in Redoubt Shoal field in the Cook Inlet of Alaska, has begun production from the field.
Redoubt Shoal began producing oil Dec. 9, with production flowing to the company's facilities at West McArthur River field at a rate exceeding 4,200 b/d of oil from two of the four wells currently capable of production. Forest expects to maintain production at or near this rate until new onshore production facilities at Kustatan are completed.
Ultimate reserves at Redoubt Shoal field could reach 220 million bbl, said Gary Carlson, senior vice-president, who also said he believes there are 30-100 million bbl of oil and 50-1,100 bcf of gas accumulations yet to be found and developed in Cook Inlet (OGJ, Dec. 9, 2002, p. 24).
Forest CEO and Chairman Robert S. Boswell said, "This is a significant milestone in the development of the Redoubt Shoal discovery." He said the project was important because "(it) demonstrates that large oil fields can be found in North America that are not deepwater related. We believe that Redoubt Shoal will have lower finding and development costs and a shorter development schedule than deepwater or international projects of similar reserve size.
"We are now the largest oil producer (in and around the Cook Inlet) and currently own one of the largest lease acreage positions (in that area)," Boswell added (see map, OGJ Dec. 9, 2002, p. 20).
Forest has identified a number of other exploration prospects in the inlet that fall within its 270,000 lease acres: Corsair, Raptor, Sabre, Tutna, and Valkyrie, several of which could be drilled in 2003.
After the company finalizes completion work on Nos. 3 and 4 Redoubt wells, a spokesman said, Forest will resume drilling activity in that field. Forest's Redoubt No. 4 well, at 20,203 ft MD, is the deepest deviated well in the Cook Inlet to date (OGJ, June 3, 2002, p. 43).