Funding approved for Greater Mooses Tooth No. 1 in NPR-A

ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc. reported that the Greater Mooses Tooth No. 1 (GMT1) development in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) has been approved for funding.

GMT1 is slated to cost $900 million gross. Production is expected to come online in late 2018 with 30,000 bo/d gross at peak production.

The project received its permit to drill from the US Bureau of Land Management on Oct. 22 (OGJ Online, Oct. 22, 2015); and the Corps of Engineers 404 permit on Jan. 16. The development will include a new gravel pad, a 7.7-mile road, facilities, and pipelines.

The project will have nine wells to start and capacity for up to 33 wells. Oil will be processed through the existing Alpine Central facility. Construction will begin in early 2017 and continue into 2018.

GMT1 will produce from lands owned by Kuukpik Corp., Arctic Slope Regional Corp., and BLM. The project will be operated by ConocoPhillips Alaska with 78% interest. Anadarko Petroleum Corp. holds the remaining 22%.

ConocoPhillips in October brought new oil on stream through Alpine drill site CD5 (OGJ Online, Oct. 28, 2015); and Kuparuk Drill Site 2S (OGJ Online, Oct. 13, 2015). Approval for viscous oil development at Drill Site 1H North East West Sak (NEWS) in the Kuparuk River unit was announced in March of this year and the start of production is expected in 2017. Also, permits for Greater Mooses Tooth No. 2 were filed in August.

The CD5, GMT1, Kuparuk Drill Site 2S, and 1H NEWS developments represent $3 billion gross in new North Slope projects. Peak gross combined production when all projects are on stream is estimated at 40-50,000 bo/d.