By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Mar. 4 -- ConocoPhillips Alaska, operator of Alpine field in the western-most area of Alaska's North Slope, Thursday reported plans to increase the field's oil production capacity to 140,000 b/d of oil from 105,000 b/d at the conclusion later this year of the $60 million Alpine Capacity Expansion project Phase I that is currently under way (OGJ Online, May 19, 2003).
The $58 million, Phase 2 (ACX2) is scheduled for completion by mid-2005. ACX2 will expand both the oil handling and seawater injection capacities of field facilities, increasing oil production and maintaining reservoir pressure.
The project also will increase water and gas-handling capacities at a field processing plant. In addition, ConocoPhillips and partner Anadarko Petroleum Corp., which holds a 22% interest, are studying additional expansion opportunities.
To date, of the planned 94 wells, 39 production wells and 42 injection wells have been completed at the two Alpine drill sites. Alpine has been developed exclusively with horizontal well technology and employs enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods to extract more oil from the reservoir.
The field, declared commercial in 1996 and in production since November 2000, is the largest onshore oil field discovered in the US in more than 10 years. The field was developed on just 97 acres of the 40,000 acre field. It is in the Colville River area, 34 miles west of Kuparuk River field.
