--> Abstract: The Historical Resouce and Recovery Growth in Developed Fields, Arctic Slope of Alaska; #90063 (2007)

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The Historical Resouce and Recovery Growth in Developed Fields, Arctic Slope of Alaska

 

Hartz, Jack1, Robert Swenson1 (1) AK DNR, Anchorage, AK

 

Exploration for oil in Alaska has a long, diverse history. Initial prospecting was guided by surface oil seeps that were reported in many of the sedimentary basins around the state. These include on-shore Gulf of Alaska, Alaska Peninsula, Western Cook Inlet, and the North Slope from Cape Simpson to Angun Point. According to archaeological evidence, the first “oil developers” were indigenous peoples of the Arctic who used oil shale and tar mat as fuel. The next phase of ‘exploration' was undertaken by prospectors, traders, and explorers and culminated in the first field development and production at Katalla (on-shore Gulf of Alaska) in 1901.

 

The year 1901 was also when geologic and topographic studies were initiated on the North Slope by the U.S. Geological Survey. This early work continued through 1928 and resulted in the publication of reconnaissance maps and reports from 1919 to 1930. Initial prospecting permits were filed in 1921, and a 1923 executive order from President Harding established the Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4 (NPR-4), now known as the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska (NPR-A). Exploration in NPR-4 began in 1943 with the U.S. Navy drilling 35 core test and exploration wells. This work continued through 1953 and resulted in the discovery of three oil and six gas accumulations, the largest being the Umiat field with an estimated 50 million barrels (8 million cubic meters) of recoverable oil.

 

AAPG Search and Discover Article #90063©2007 AAPG Annual Convention, Long Beach, California