Gulf of Alaska and Lower Cook Inlet summary report 3: Second revision of Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Alaska (including Lower Cook Inlet) and their onshore impacts: A summary report, September 1980

Abstract

Five Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lease sales have been held in the Gulf of Alaska subregion of Alaska. Lease Sale 39, in the northern Gulf of Alaska, was held on April 13, 1976, and it resulted in the leasing of 76 tracts. Lease Sale CI, held on October 27, 1977, resulted in the leasing of 87 tracts in Lower Cook Inlet. Lease Sale 55 in the eastern Gulf of Alaska, held on October 21, 1980, leased 35 tracts. The first Reoffering Sale (RS-1), held on June 30, 1981, resulted in the leasing of one tract in the eastern Gulf of Alaska. Lease Sale 60, the most recent sale in the subregion, was held on September 29, 1981. It resulted in the leasing of 13 tracts in the Lower Cook Inlet and the Shelikof Strait. Exploratory drilling has been conducted on tracts leased in Lease Sales 39 and CI. No commercial discoveries were made, and no further exploratory drilling is anticipated on tracts leased in either sale. ARCO has plans to explore a tract leased in Lease Sale 55 in January 1983. Chevron has conducted geohazard studies on tracts leased in Lease Sale 60. The results of these studies will determine if exploratory wells will be drilled. Exploratory drilling, if it does take place, is not anticipated before the summer of 1983. In March 1982, the Department of the Interior prepared new resource estimates for the Gulf of Alaska subregion. The risked mean resource estimates for tracts leased in Lease Sale 55 and Lease Sale RS-1 are 12.1 million barrels of oil and 46.2 billion cubic feet of gas. The risked mean resource estimates for tracts leased in Lease Sale 60 are 5.6 million barrels of oil and 5 billion cubic feet of gas. The onshore impacts from previous OCS exploration in the Gulf of Alaska and the Lower Cook Inlet were minimal. Yakutat will be used to support exploratory drilling on any Lease Sale 55 or Lease Sale RS-1 tracts. If exploratory drilling takes place on Lease Sale 60 tracts, support facilities are expected to be located in Kenai or on Kodiak Island.