ConocoPhillips sets Alaska drilling record
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc. announced that it achieved a drilling record for Alaska at drill site CD5 in the Colville River Unit (Alpine) on Alaska’s North Slope. CD5 is the first commercial oil development on Alaska Native lands within the boundaries of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A).
Doyon Rig 19 drilled a horizontal injection well 26,196 ft, a record for overall measured length of a well for the state. The well was drilled to a TVD of approximately 7,400 ft and has a horizontal leg of 17,228 ft. The well took 24 days to drill, and encountered Alpine “A” sands.
“Longer wells allow the company to access more of the reservoir without increasing the gravel footprint of the development” said Mike Wheatall, manager of drilling and wells for ConocoPhillips Alaska. “Ultimately, longer wells like these could mean more oil produced over a longer period of time.”
“This exciting drilling record at Alpine is a significant technological achievement” said Joe Marushack, president of ConocoPhillips Alaska. “This accomplishment continues our tradition of innovation and developing resources in a way that minimizes impacts to the environment. It’s something I’m very proud of, and I congratulate our drilling employees and contractors for their excellent work.”
Alpine was the first North Slope field developed exclusively with horizontal well technology. More than 60 square miles of subsurface can be accessed from a single drilling pad. Wheatall said since first oil at Alpine in 2000, advanced technology has enabled longer wells that can access more of the oil- bearing zone in a field.
ConocoPhillips Alaska announced in April that funding had been approved for additional wells and associated on-pad infrastructure at the CD5 drill site. The additional wells and infrastructure will bring CD5 to its full permitted well capacity. CD5 is exceeding its original production target of 16,000 bopd gross, and is currently producing approximately 20,000 bopd gross average, year to date.
