Production begins at Point Thomson on Alaska’s North Slope

ExxonMobil Corp. has started production at its Point Thomson project on Alaska’s North Slope near the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

Central pad facilities are designed to initially produce about 5,000 b/d of condensate and 100 MMscfd of recycled gas. The recycled gas is reinjected for future recovery.

At full-rate, the facility is designed to produce as much as 10,000 b/d of gas-condensate and 200 MMcfd of recycled gas. It is expected to reach that level when the west pad well is online in a few months.

Point Thomson is on state acreage along the Beaufort Sea, 60 miles east of Prudhoe Bay and 60 miles west of the village of Kaktovik. ExxonMobil resumed drilling in the area last year after years of legal wrangling (OGJ Online, Mar. 12, 2015).

The firm says Point Thomson reservoir holds an estimated 8 tcf of gas and associated condensate, representing 25% of the known gas on the ANS. Potential future development will depend on a range of factors such as business considerations, investment climate, and the fiscal and regulatory environment.

ExxonMobil and the working-interest owners have invested $4 billion in the development of Point Thomson production facilities through 2015. About 100 Alaskan companies have contributed to the project.