The Explorers 2024: Welcome to The Explorers 2024

Armstrong exploration drilling extends Brookian topset fairway 65 miles east

Kay Cashman, Petroleum News Publisher

Petroleum News

Kudos to the explorers featured in this year's issue of The Explorers magazine: 88 Energy, Armstrong's Lagniappe, ASRC Energy, 88 Energy, ConocoPhillips, Great Bear Pantheon, Hilcorp, Jade Energy and Savant Glacier.

In 2013, Armstrong Oil & Gas Inc. and its partner Repsol kicked off the prolific Brookian topset play with the multi-billion-barrel oil discovery in the Pikka field west of the central North Slope, the largest component being the Nanushuk reservoir.

Large lookalike new field discoveries have since been made at Willow, Stirrup, Mitquq and Coyote. These fields are currently in the early stages of development, and in aggregate, have projected resources in excess of 5 billion barrels.

With Armstrong's understanding of these new discoveries, the company identified multiple lookalike prospects 70-90 miles east on the eastern North Slope. Lagniappe, an Armstrong affiliate (holding a 25% working interest ownership). drilled three of these prospects during the 2024 winter exploration season as operator on behalf of partners APA Alaska LLC (50% WIO), an APA Corp. affiliate company and Oil Search (Alaska) LLC (25% WIO), a Santos affiliate company.

The three wells (King Street #1, Voodoo #1, Sockeye #1) each targeted large 3D-defined opportunities.

The King Street #1 well was drilled to a total depth of 10,241 feet. Hydrocarbons were found in two separate hydrocarbon zones at depths of 8,130 feet and 9,850 feet. Wireline evaluation, sidewall cores and MDT data from the well indicate pay in both lower and upper zones in high-quality late Cretaceous clastic reservoirs.

Further evaluation will be undertaken to determine the scope and focus of future appraisal drilling necessary to determine the size and extent of these discoveries, Armstrong said.

The Sockeye #1 well and the Voodoo #1 well were unable to reach their targeted depths due to a number of operational and weather-related challenges. Both wells were plugged before reaching the targeted formations.

"Wildcatting is a challenging endeavor. The wells we drilled this year were located 70-90 miles east of older Brookian topset discoveries. Only two wells had ever been drilled on our 275,000-acre land position (one well/215 square miles)," said Bill Armstrong, president of Armstrong Oil & Gas.

"Despite the lack of well control, our regional geologic studies indicated evidence for connectivity to a working petroleum system, and our objectives have potential for very favorable (porous and permeable) rock properties," he said.

Petroleum News sources say: Armstrong might be onto something big.