ARCO STARTS UP NORTH SLOPE FIELD

ARCO Alaska Inc. has started the first production from an oil field discovery on the North Slope since 1987. Flow of about 3,000 b/d of oil from a single well in West Beach field began Apr. 8, following approval by state agencies earlier this year. It is owned 50-50 by operator ARCO and Exxon Co. U.S.A. The field, discovered in 1991 between Point McIntyre and Lisburne oil fields in the Prudhoe Bay area, is being produced through Lisburne facilities. ARCO said the field, small by North Slope

April 26, 1993

2 min read

ARCO Alaska Inc. has started the first production from an oil field discovery on the North Slope since 1987.

Flow of about 3,000 b/d of oil from a single well in West Beach field began Apr. 8, following approval by state agencies earlier this year. It is owned 50-50 by operator ARCO and Exxon Co. U.S.A.

The field, discovered in 1991 between Point McIntyre and Lisburne oil fields in the Prudhoe Bay area, is being produced through Lisburne facilities. ARCO said the field, small by North Slope standards, isn't big enough to justify construction of stand alone production facilities.

MILESTONE

West Beach start-up represents the first new North Slope production from exploration since start-up of Endicott oil field in 1987, ARCO said.

Estimates of oil in place are 10-65 million bbl. The West Beach discovery well cut 200 ft of oil column in a lower Cretaceous Kuparuk River sandstone. Development required construction of a 2 mile pipeline to a Lisburne drillsite.

"Our plan is to produce the well, test it, and watch how it behaves," said James Weeks, senior vice-president for ARCO Alaska's Prudhoe Bay-Lisburne unit.

"We also expect to drill another well to delineate the field. If all goes according to plan, there could be as many as 11 wells at West Beach-five producers, five water injectors, and one gas injection well."

Start-up followed state approval of field operating, area participation, and production commingling rules this year.

ARCO is in the midst of an aggressive exploration campaign in Alaska that in recent years has yielded at least two giant oil fields (OGJ, Apr. 12, p. 20).