RESEARCH-THE US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SEEKS PARTNERS TO DRILL COALBED METHANE ASSESSMENT WELLS IN THE NORTH SLOPE BASIN, ALASKA

Notice Date

July 25, 2001

Contracting Office

USGS-Technology Enterprise Office, National Center -- MS 211, 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr., Reston, VA 20192

ZIP Code

20192

E-Mail Address

click here to contact the Research Coordinator via (barker@crgdmail1.cr.usgs.gov; or charlesbarker@att.net)

Description

DESC: The US Geological Survey (USGS), and the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys are seeking industrial partners and collaborators to join the Artic Slope Coalbed Methane (ASGAS) Consortium to drill, core and test coalbeds for methane in North Slope Basin, Alaska. Current Consortium members include the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and the Bureau of Land Management, representing the permitting and regulatory agencies; and The Artic Slope Native Corporation, a major subsurface owner. The Consortium plans to use a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to drill the necessary assessment wells with interested industry partners. The government seeks partners willing to provide funds and/services of $250,000 to $500,000 a piece; this funding will be used to leverage the government funds available for the initial study. The planned project, which will be lead by the USGS, calls for coring wells using the existing gravel drill pads along the Prudhoe Bay haul road (Dalton Highway), in the Prudhoe Bay field area and the gravel road system of coastal villages within the Naval Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPRA). Early core and test results will be used to determine if step-out wells in and outside of NPRA will be needed. Preliminary resource calculations -- based on crude estimates of coal depth, tonnage and average gas content, indicate a geologic potential of some 800 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of CBM in the North Slope Basin. Although only a portion of this TCF of CBM may ultimately be recovered, quantification of the CBM resource by this project will be a significant factor in eventual decisions about whether or not to build a separate gas pipeline across the North Slope to the lower 48 state markets. THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT NOTICE. The USGS is especially interested in collaborations with partners that can assist in improving access to existing drilling pads or providing drill site support as an in-kind contribution to the Consortium. Companies interested in working with the USGS or in discussing the technology can contact Dr. Charles Barker, USGS Energy Resource Team, Denver, CO. (303) 236-5797 or Julia Giller, Program Manager of the Technology Enterprise Office, US Geological Survey, 211 National Center, Reston, VA, 20192, phone (703) 648-4403; or fax (703) 648-4408.

Web Link

Click here to obtain more information on the USGS research (www.energy.cr.usgs.gov:8080)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010727/SPMSC017.HTM (W-206 SN50S8V2)