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No commercial hydrocarbons in Bear 1, per ConocoPhillips 10-K
Kay Cashman Petroleum News
In its 2023 10-K, ConocoPhillips reported on its Bear 1 wildcat, saying that "no commercial hydrocarbons were found and the well was deemed a dry hole and permanently plugged and abandoned." The well was "at a location 30 miles south of the Greater Kuparuk Area and east of the Colville River on state lands."
Bear 1, which was on oil and gas lease ADL 393519, was spud in late February and completed on April 3, 2023. The lease is neither contained within any existing unit nor adjacent to any ConocoPhillips unit.
As previously reported, prior to completion ConocoPhillips Alaska President Erec Isaacson described the company's Bear 1 well as a Brookian Topset play, which was what the Oil Search/Armstrong team drilled at Pikka, Horseshoe, Stirrup, Mitquq -- and that ConocoPhillips Alaska drilled at Willow.
On June 26, 2023, Alaska's Division of Oil and Gas approved a rental reduction for ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc.'s 74 contiguous leases on 136,197 acres in a vertical block along the eastern border of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The non-unitized leases are 19 miles south of the village of Nuiqsut.
CPAI earned the reduction by completing exploration and development work during the primary term of the leases, work that included drilling the Bear 1 wildcat.
Prior to spudding Bear 1, CPAI acquired and processed the Bear 3D seismic survey. Additionally, the company licensed well data for the Horseshoe 1 well, Stirrup 1 well, and the Horseshoe 3D and Kuukpik 3D seismic surveys that covered portions of the 74 leases. CPAI conducted analysis of the data including reprocessing of seismic surveys, fluid and rock samples, surface sediment sampling and analysis for hydrocarbon typing.
The work completed on the leases added to CPAI's understanding of the prospective reservoir targets on the acreage, the division said in its approval.
Western North Slope In its 10-K ConocoPhillips described the Western North Slope as including its Colville River unit, the Greater Mooses Tooth unit and the Bear Tooth unit. In 2023, on average, ConocoPhillips Alaska had two rigs drilling throughout the year.
Per the 10-K the "Colville River unit includes the Alpine Field and four satellite fields. Field installations include one central production facility, which separates oil, natural gas and water. In 2023, we focused our development activities on the Narwhal (Nanushuk) trend, a reservoir within the Alpine Field, and anticipate completing the current phase in 2024. The results will help inform the design and optimization of future development."
The Greater Mooses Tooth unit is the first unit established entirely within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, or NPR-A. The unit was constructed in two phases: Greater Mooses Tooth 1 (GMT1) and Greater Mooses Tooth 2 (GMT2). Development activity continued in 2023, ConocoPhillips said in its 10-K.
On March 12, 2023, the Department of the Interior issued a Record of Decision, or ROD, approving the Willow project, and in December 2023, ConocoPhillips announced final investment decision, or FID.
The project will consist of three drill sites, an operations center and camp, and a processing facility.
First production from Willow is anticipated in 2029, the company said.
Transportation In its 10-K filing ConocoPhillips also said it transports the petroleum liquids produced on the North Slope to Valdez, Alaska through an 800-mile pipeline that is part of Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, or TAPS.
"We have a 29.5% ownership interest in TAPS, and we also have ownership interests in and operate the Alpine, Kuparuk and Oliktok pipelines on the North Slope," the company said.
"Our wholly owned subsidiary, Polar Tankers Inc., manages the marine transportation of our North Slope production, using five company-owned, double-hulled tankers, and charters third-party vessels, as necessary. The tankers deliver oil from Valdez, Alaska, primarily to refineries on the west coast of the U.S." per the 10-K.
--Kay Cashman
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