CONOCO GAUGES OIL AND GAS STRIKE BETWEEN PRUDHOE BAY AND ANWR
Conoco Inc. has tested a sizable oil and gas discovery just off Alaska's North Slope.
It is the first indication of potentially commercial near-shore hydrocarbons between the huge industry infrastructure at Prudhoe Bay and undeveloped oil and gas reserves just west of the highly prospective Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Plain.
Conoco-Petrofina Delaware Inc. 1 Badami flowed 4,250 b/d of oil and 1.2 MMcfd of gas through a 24/64 in. choke based on a 4 hr stabilized flow rate with 3,342 psi flowing tubing pressure from pay at an undisclosed depth.
It was drilled from an onshore surface location to an offshore bottomhole location in 9-9n-20e in Mikkelsen Bay about 25 miles east of supergiant Prudhoe Bay oil field. Total measured depth is 13,599 ft.
The discovery well is on state Tract 45A-33.
Conoco plans to spud the 2 Badami confirmation well from an ice island this winter. Site will be on state Tract 48A-6, about 2 miles offshore and 3 miles northwest of the discovery.
Conoco and Petrofina, a unit of Petrofina SA, Brussels, acquired Tract 33 in state Sale 45A for $208,248 and Tract 6 in state Sale 48A for $51,961.
In five state lease sales, the two companies have assembled a spread in the Mikkelsen Bay area totaling 16 tracts covering 57,400 gross acres.
Operator Conoco holds a 66.67% interest in the prospect with Petrofina holding the remaining interest.
DISCOVERY SETTING
There have been no commercial hydrocarbon discoveries in the Mikkelsen Bay area.
However, the Point Thompson Unit just to the east holds more than 5 tcf of gas and 300 million bbl of condensate. To the west lies the infrastructure supporting Prudhoe Bay, Kuparuk River, Lisburne, and Endicott oil field developments and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.
And about 20 miles offshore to the northeast, Unocal Corp. drilled the Hammerhead oil discovery,
In addition, Conoco has oil production in the Milne Point Unit northwest of Prudhoe Bay.
The controversial, high potential ANWR Coastal Plain lies onshore just east of Point Thompson Unit.
Copyright 1991 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.