Resource Characterization and Quantification of Natural Gas-Hydrate and Associated Free-Gas Accumulations in the Prudhoe Bay—Kuparuk River Area on the North Slope of Alaska

By

R.B. Hunter, G.J. Pelka, S.A. Digert (BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc.), R. Casavant, R. Johnson, M. Poulton, C. Glass (University of Arizona), K. Mallon (Consultant), S.L. Patil, G.A. Chukwu, A.Y. Dandekar, S. Khataniar, D.O. Ogbe (University of Alaska, Fairbanks), and T.S. Collett (U.S. Geological Survey)

BP is leading a collaborative, DOE-cooperatively-funded project to characterize, quantify, and determine commerciality of Alaska North Slope (ANS) gas-hydrate and associated free-gas resources in Prudhoe Bay Unit—Kuparuk River Unit—Milne Point Unit areas. BP will collaborate with the University of Arizona, Tucson, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and United States Geological Survey to provide practical input to reservoir and economic models, to determine the technical feasibility of gas hydrate production, and to influence future exploration and field extension of this ANS resource. The large magnitude of potential gas reserves (44 TCF) and concurrent ANS gas commercialization industry studies make this an opportune time to assess this resource. This region exclusively combines known gas hydrate resource presence and existing production infrastructure. Many technical, economical, environmental, and safety issues require resolution before enabling gas hydrate commercial production. Gas hydrate energy resource potential has been studied for nearly three decades. However, operators have not applied this knowledge to practical gas hydrate resource development. ANS gas hydrate reservoirs have not been studied to determine reservoir extent, stratigraphy, structure, continuity, quality, variability, and geophysical and petrophysical property distribution. A first, two-year phase will characterize the reservoirs and lead to recoverable reserve and commercial potential estimates. This phase will also define procedures for gas hydrates drilling, data acquisition, completion, and production. Phases 2 and 3 will integrate well, core, log, and long-term production test data from additional wells, if justified by results from prior phases. The project could lead to future ANS gas hydrate pilot development.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90008©2002 AAPG Pacific Section/SPE Western Region Joint Conference of Geoscientists and Petroleum Engineers, Anchorage, Alaska, May 18–23, 2002.