To reach all the oil underneath Alaska’s shoreline, new technologies similar to the fracking technology that has opened up new reserves in Texas and North Dakota, must be developed for Alaska. In an article in The Barrel, Gary Gentile explains that the research for this kind of development will take years of intensive and cooperative effort between government and private laboratories, exactly what payed off before.
“The reason that we need to be thinking about the Arctic now is because it will take us a good decade of exploration in proving up this resource to get to the place where we are at a significant level of commercial production. So if you think about the work we did in 1978 to provide for the domestic supplies that we have now, that’s where we need to be in the Arctic right now.”
Much of the government research into the Arctic should be focused on technologies that will help extend the drilling seasons, the NPC report recommended.
Currently, companies have a small window of opportunity to drill offshore Alaska. The ice melts enough to allow for exploration from about July to October.
That window is constricted more by government regulations, which require that a second rig be available in case a relief well needs to be drilled. A relief well could take anywhere from 30 to 90 days, depending on weather conditions. That time has to be built into any Arctic drilling plan — time that can’t be used to drill.
By developing more effective spill containment systems, the drilling season could be extended, allowing more time for a company to explore.
See Full Story at The Barrel
