ConocoPhillips Alaska's Fiord West Kuparuk Produces First Oil from Record-Setting Horizontal Well
ANCHORAGE – ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) Alaska today announced that it achieved first oil production on May 18 from Fiord West Kuparuk reservoir, just a month after setting a new drilling record for a land-based rig.
Doyon 26, the largest mobile land rig in North America, is a technologically advanced rig, capable of drilling in excess of 40,000 feet, which substantially extends the reach from a single pad. That means the rig will be able to develop 154 square miles of reservoir from a 14-acre drilling pad versus 55 square miles using today’s conventional rigs.
Fiord West Kuparuk is a satellite development of the Alpine field that is being developed from the existing CD2 pad in the Colville River Unit. Extended reach drilling technology is being used that eliminates the need for a new gravel pad, additional pipelines, or more roads. Instead, a small expansion of an existing pad was made to accommodate the rig that drilled a total measured depth of 35,526 feet.
“This project opens a new era we call ‘growth without gravel’ where we can use extended reach technology to access 60 percent more acreage from a single pad, dramatically reducing our footprint and enabling us to safely produce from environmentally sensitive areas,” said Erec Isaacson, president of ConocoPhillips Alaska.
The well, CD2-310, was decades in the making and planning started in 1998. The well is an injection well that will be pre-produced for 5-6 months prior to being converted to permanent injection service. Data from the well will aid in optimizing the design of the next well. The well’s flowrate is being progressively increased and is currently producing close to 10,000 BOPD, exceeding expectations.
“Extended reach technology has been a game changer for ConocoPhillips,” said Vincent Lelarge, vice president, Alaska Asset Development. “It’s how we are able to responsibility develop fields like Fiord West Kuparuk with minimal footprint on the tundra and the surrounding environment.”
Lelarge said ConocoPhillips has worked collaboratively on the Doyon 26 rig since 2011 when use of an extended reach drilling rig was being evaluated. From front-end engineering and design studies to our ConocoPhillips Canada colleagues collaborating with Doyon Drilling during construction, the rig arrived on the North Slope of Alaska in 2020.
Fiord West Kuparuk is located in the Colville River Unit and is 100 percent owned and operated by ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc.
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About ConocoPhillips Alaska
ConocoPhillips has been leading the search for energy in Alaska for more than 50 years. The company is committed to responsibly developing Alaska’s resources, providing economic opportunity for Alaska, operating at the highest safety standards and being good stewards of our communities. For more information, visit www.conocophillipsalaska.com. Follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/conocophillips) and Twitter (@COP_Alaska).
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