Drilling of a dedicated gas hydrate well, Hot Ice #1, was completed in the first quarter of 2004. The well is located south of the Kuparuk River field, approximately 60 miles west of Deadhorse, Alaska. This well was constructed as part of a cost-shared partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy, Anadarko Petroleum, Maurer Technology, and Noble Engineering and Development.

Objectives of this gas-hydrate project were to analyze existing geological and geophysical data and obtain new field data required to predict hydrate occurrences; test the best methods and tools for drilling and recovering hydrates; and plan, design, and implement a program to safely and economically drill and produce gas from hydrates in Alaska.

Although the well did not encounter natural-gas hydrates, several innovative technologies were successfully demonstrated including the first Arctic Drilling Platform, designed and constructed by Anadarko.

This paper addresses well planning, drilling operations, the coring program, and results derived from the first dedicated gas hydrate well in the Alaskan Arctic. A discussion of lessons learned is also presented. Potential future studies are identified that are needed before the next hydrate well is undertaken. It is hoped that this information will contribute to safe hydrate drilling operations in future applications and will assist the industry in addressing technical and logistical obstacles for the eventual commercial production of methane hydrates.