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Drilling 2 Quokka wells
Santos subsidiary OSA files unit operations plan, exploration phase
Kay Cashman Petroleum News
On Sept. 29, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources' Division of Oil and Gas posted a public notice saying Oil Search (Alaska) LLC, a Santos subsidiary, has applied for a Quokka Unit Plan of Operations - Exploration Phase, which includes drilling appraisal wells this winter in the North Slope unit.
(See map in the online issue PDF)
Oil Search (Alaska), or OSA, is proposing to drill one exploration appraisal well, Quokka 1, and one sidetrack well from an ice pad in the Quokka Unit. Both wells will be drilled using one surface hole location and will be plugged and abandoned upon completion.
The ice pad will be located roughly 3 miles southeast of the existing Nanushuk Operations Pad.
An additional ice pad measuring 5.7 acres will be installed to support project activities.
An ice road measuring approximately 1.2 miles will connect the ice pads to the existing Pikka Access Road.
Other exploration activities in the unit may include tiltmeter studies and/or walkaway vertical seismic profiles.
The purpose of the drilling and testing activities is to better understand subsurface reservoir characteristics within the Quokka Unit.
Affected ADLs where drilling activities will occur are ADL 393873 and ADL 393881.
OSA proposes to begin mobilizing to drill the Quokka 1 and associated sidetrack appraisal well in December 2024.
Prepacking, ice work An ice road, ice road spurs and ice pads will be constructed as soon as conditions allow in Q4 2024.
Thermistors will be placed along ice road alignments and at ice pad sites to determine soil temperature. Ice road construction will begin with prepacking the snow as conditions allow and once appropriate approvals are secured.
Prepacking snow cover will be conducted using snow machines, tuckers, rolligons, terra-gators, or other vehicles approved for off-road use by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.
The snowpack may also be naturally enhanced using snow fencing or by spraying/misting to keep the snow from blowing off the ice road alignment
Upon completion of the ice pad, OSA will mobilize support equipment, camps, and a drilling rig to the site to begin drilling operations.
Operations will be conducted on an approximately 10-acre, seasonal ice pad.
Once the Quokka 1 ice road and pad are complete, OSA will install a well cellar and conductor prior to the rig being set in place.
Drilling of the two wells is expected to take approximately 90 days to complete.
Drilling operations will include temporary buildings and structures located on the Quokka 1 ice pad.
In addition to the drilling rig, additional facilities including maintenance buildings, storage containers, camps, office buildings, a communications tower and other small temporary support structures will be located at the drill site or a staging ice pad located near the drill site.
All buildings will be mobilized to the site from Deadhorse and will be removed at the completion of the project.
Temporary camps will be located at the construction support ice pad and on existing gravel pads located within the general project area.
Design, flow testing The planned well design will be similar to that employed in previous investigatory 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. During these activities, bulk tanks (up to 1,000 barrels each) and open-top tanks will be placed on site to hold drilling/testing fluids.
In accordance with air quality regulations, a safety flare would be utilized during well testing.
Upon completion, OSA will plug and abandon the well and remove the cellar and cut the conductor below ground, per regulatory requirements.
Excavated soils in addition to clean gravel fill will be used to replace the materials removed during installation of the cellar and conductor. Clean gravel fill will be sourced from one of the existing local mine sites and transported to the site.
Where to comment OSA's application package is available for review at the division's Permitting Section in Anchorage or online at http://dog.dnr.alaska.gov/Newsroom. Comments should be sent to [email protected] or to the division's office.
All comments must be inwriting. All comments must be received by the comment deadline: 4:30 p.m., Alaska Time, Oct. 29.
For more information about commenting call 907-269-8411.
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