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Oil Search files Mitquq, Stirrup operation plans for winter drilling
Kay Cashman Petroleum News
Oil Search has filed proposed lease plans of operations for two wells it wants to drill and test on the North Slope this winter - Mitquq 1 and Stirrup 1. The company also expects to sidetrack the Mitquq prospect well.
The wells will test Nanushuk analogues east of the Pikka unit with Mitquq 1, and west of the Horseshoe Block with Stirrup 1 (see Oil Search map in pdf version of this story, note Horseshoe 1 and 1A well date should be 2017, not 2015).
A public notice was issued for Oil Search’s proposed lease plans of operations Oct. 30 on the Alaska Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Oil and Gas website, with the comments due in by 4:30 p.m., Alaska Standard Time, Dec. 2.
Both the wells will be drilled from ice pads on state land east of the Colville River, with Mitquq 1 a little over 6 miles from the proposed Pikka Nanushuk Development A pad, or ND-A.
Oil Search recently described Mitquq’s oil potential as a “high value tieback” to “future Pikka infrastructure” (see story in Sept. 29 edition of Petroleum News).
Success at the Stirrup prospect, which is adjacent to the Horseshoe Block south of the Pikka unit “could de-risk additional fairways to underpin a possible standalone” Horseshoe development, the company said at that time, noting Stirrup is a direct analogue to the Horseshoe 1 Nanushuk discovery drilled by former operator Armstrong Energy.
Mitquq 1 project The purpose of the drilling and testing activities at Mitquq 1 is to better understand subsurface reservoir characteristics in the Mitquq exploration area.
The project includes a 35-foot wide 6.4-mile long ice road that starts from the ConocoPhillips drill site 3S gravel road, as well as spur ice roads for accessing water sources. Water and ice chips from nearby lakes will be used to build a total of about 8 miles of ice roads.
The project also involves two ice pads, one primary 23-acre drilling pad roughly 5.5 miles southwest of DS-3S, one construction support pad at the ice road junction with the DS-3S access road and a staging area at the Nuna pad.
Oil Search requested a single exception for mitigation measure A.1.d. because portions of the Mitquq ice road will be within 500 feet of fish bearing waterbodies.
Mitquq 1 and its sidetrack will be drilled to a true vertical depth of approximately 7,000 feet or less and plugged and abandoned upon completion, Oil Search said.
The wells surface site is at Umiat meridian, township 11N, range 7E, sections 3 and 10 in ADL 393875.
The Mitquq well bore location is described as Umiat, 11N, 7E, section 2, affecting ADL 391912.
Prepacking, snow trail and staking is expected to start Nov. 1, along with ice road and ice pad construction.
Drilling operations are scheduled to get underway Jan. 1 and be completed by April 15.
The company plans to use Nabors 7ES drill rig, with the Mitquq well design like that employed in previous exploration wells and in accordance with a permit to drill from the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
Well stimulation and flow testing activities may be performed at the well site if deemed appropriate. If well testing occurs, approximately 60 to 80 bulk tanks (up to 600 barrels each) will be placed onsite to hold drilling fluids/crude oil during testing activities.
In compliance with air quality regulations, a safety flare would be utilized during well testing.
Drilling operations will include several temporary structures at the well site ice pad. In addition to the rig, facilities such as maintenance buildings, storage connexes, camps, office buildings, a communication tower and other small temporary support structures will be at the drill site pad, Oil Search’s application said.
All buildings will be hauled to the project from Deadhorse during mobilization and will be removed at the completion of drilling operations.
Mitquq seismic testing The division also received a miscellaneous land use permit application from Oil Search seeking authorization to conduct seismic testing at the Mitquq 1 drill site, which was included in the public notice. The company posted a $500,000 bond for the work.
To support what the division described as an exploration project, Oil Search will conduct a walkaway vertical seismic profile and microdeformation fracture mapping, more commonly known as a tiltmeter survey, at the well.
The geophysical surveys, the company told the division, will allow it “to obtain a better understanding of fracture geometry and reservoir characteristics in the exploration area.”
Stirrup 1 project The purpose of the drilling and testing activities at Stirrup 1 is to better understand subsurface reservoir characteristics in the Stirrup exploration area.
Oil Search is requesting authorization to drill and test one exploratory well, Stirrup 1, from an ice pad during the upcoming winter season. That 23-acre pad will be roughly 23 miles west of ConocoPhillips drill site 2P.
The well will be drilled to a true vertical depth of approximately 6,000 feet or less, and upon completion Oil Search will plug and abandon it.
The project will include one main 26.1-mile ice road that is 35 feet wide from the gravel DS-2P access road, 10 spur ice roads for water source access, four ice pads for staging, construction, telecommunications and drilling, a staging area at drill site 2P and one ice airstrip.
All told, there will be 29.6 miles of ice roads, including the spurs.
Water and ice chips from nearby lakes will be used to build the roads.
Per the application, Stirrup 1’s surface hole location is Umiat meridian, township 8N, range 3E and section 8 in ADL 392043, whereas the cover letter for the lease plan of operations said the affected lease where drilling activities will occur is ADL 392044.
Unlike the Mitquq 1 application no well bore location is provided for Stirrup 1.
Prepacking, snow trail and staking is expected to start Nov. 1, along with ice road and ice pad construction.
Mobilization of drilling equipment is scheduled to get underway Jan. 1, with drilling operations to begin Jan. 31 and be completed by April 15.
The company plans to use Doyon Arctic Fox drill rig, with the Stirrup well design like that employed in previous exploration wells and in accordance with a, AOGCC permit to drill.
Well stimulation and flow testing activities may be performed at the well site if deemed appropriate. If testing occurs, approximately 60 to 80 bulk tanks (up to 600 barrels each) will be placed onsite to hold drilling fluids/crude oil during testing.
In compliance with air quality regulations, a safety flare would be utilized during well testing.
Upon completion of drilling activities, the well will be plugged and abandoned prior to demobilization from the site
Per Oil Search’s application, drilling operations will include several temporary structures at the well site ice pad, including maintenance buildings, storage connexes, camps, office buildings, a communication tower, and other small temporary support structures.
All buildings and equipment will be hauled to the project from Deadhorse and will be removed at the completion of drilling operations
Unlike Mitquq 1, a 200 foot by 5,000 foot ice airstrip may be built to “support contingencies for personnel or equipment transport to the Stirrup 1 drilling location. A fixed wing aircraft, or helicopter may make contingency visits … to evacuate personnel or equipment as needed. Flights may originate from the Deadhorse Airport, or elsewhere, if required due to weather conditions, emergencies, or as needed to support drilling operations. The number of flights would be the minimum necessary for the safe transport of personnel,” Oil Search said in its application.
Stirrup seismic testing The division also received a miscellaneous land use permit application from Oil Search to conduct seismic testing at the Stirrup 1 drill site, which was included in the public notice. The company posted a $500,000 bond for the work.
To support what the division described as an exploration project, Oil Search will conduct a walkaway vertical seismic profile and microdeformation fracture mapping, more commonly known as a tiltmeter survey, at the well.
The geophysical surveys, the company told the division, will allow it “to obtain a better understanding of fracture geometry and reservoir characteristics in the exploration area.”
- KAY CASHMAN
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