壳牌计划恢复阿拉斯加北极地区油气勘探

据9月23日High North News报道，石油巨头荷兰皇家壳牌公司提交了在阿拉斯加北部海岸恢复石油和天然气勘探的计划。自2015年该公司放弃了在更远的西部和更深的水域的Burger J勘探区寻找石油，至今已有5年。

壳牌提交了地震活动和勘探钻探计划，该计划是在西哈里森湾许可证上进行的，该许可证位于阿拉斯加国家石油储备区的近海。与Burger J许可勘探区相比，该区域靠近海岸，水域较浅，冰层条件也不那么苛刻，因此在技术上没有那么困难。

该公司正在寻求批准与其他公司合作，在其18份租约中勘探这86400英亩的土地。

根据该文件，在新冠肺炎疫情对市场环境造成负面影响和油价暴跌之前，壳牌在更好地了解资源领域和确定项目合作伙伴方面取得了进展。

报告表示，在全球疫情大面积爆发的情况下，对“作业和调查的后勤限制”使得目前无法吸引潜在投资者参与“高风险项目”。

在其5年计划中，该公司建议在2021至2022年进行地震研究，更新地质数据，最终确定油井和储层设计，并在2023至2024年开始并扩大勘探。勘探区位于广受欢迎的Nanushuk地层之上，该地层是北坡西部最具潜力的地层之一。

王佳晶 摘译自 High North News

原文如下：

Shell Plans to Resume Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration in Arctic Alaska

Oil Major Royal Dutch Shell submitted plans to resume oil and gas exploration in waters off Alaska’s northern coast. The news comes about fives years after the company abandoned costly efforts to find oil in the Burger J prospect area further to the west and in much deeper water in 2015.

Shell submitted plans for seismic activity and exploratory drilling in its West Harrison Bay license in the Beaufort Sea just offshore from the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. The prospect area’s proximity to shore, shallower waters, and less severe ice conditions should make exploration less technically challenging than the Burger J license in the Chukchi Sea.

The company seeks approval to partner with other companies to explore the 86,400 acres in its 18 leases.

According to the document Shell had made progress in better understanding the resource area and identifying project partners prior to the negative impact of Covid19 on the market environment and the collapse in oil prices.

It also said that “logistical restrictions to operations and surveying” amidst the global pandemic makes it currently infeasible to attract prospective investors for a “high risk project.”

In its 5-year plan the company suggests conducting seismic studies to update geological data and finalize well and reservoir design in 2021-22 and begin and subsequently expand exploratory drilling in 2023-24. The prospect area sits atop the popular and shallow Nanushuk formation, one of the most promising on the western part of the North Slope.