The effect of regional geology, regulatory environments, and project value propositions on emerging discoveries and impending developments in the North Slope of Alaska

• Main Author: Scieszka, Evan Jeffrey
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The University of Texas at Austin 2021
• Subjects: Alaska; Geology; FOS Earth and related environmental sciences; Resource estimation; Impact assessment; Regulation; North Slope; NPRA; north slope; Prudhoe Bay
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.26153/tsw/21526; https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/94607

The Willow and Pikka petroleum play discoveries on the North Slope of Alaska have the potential to be the largest plays in the region since Prudhoe Bay, although environmental concerns, high cost of development, and Native community impact has slowed and even threatened to derail the development of new Alaskan drilling projects. The aim of this thesis is to understand these plays from a geological, production potential, value, and impact perspective to better understand impending developments in the North Slope region and formulate proposals to mitigate impact and project delay. Using publicly available data, we outline the broad geologic settings characterizing new play chances. We also show that both the Pikka and Willow plays possess high production estimates with high value propositions using local field data and predictive modeling techniques. Lastly, legitimate concerns over subsistence rights of Native Alaskans and environmental impact caused by the further development of these fields were addressed with the conclusion that significant policy change will likely be required into the future. The significance of this study is that it showcases the potential inherent in frontier oil plays through multiple lenses of geology, production estimates, and impact. It therefore informs our current understanding of these individual plays as well as the understanding of Alaskan oil and gas policy going forward