PRUDHOE BAY

A PRESENTATION FOR PETROLEUM FUNDAMENTALS AND EXPLORATION

Location
Producers/operators/ownership
 Field Basin
 Prudhoe Bay field is located
in Colville Basin, classified as
intermediate crustal type on
the continent margin,
sloping downward into small
ocean basin.

 Colville is called “hawk

heaven” for its unbelievable
golden falcons, peregrine
falcons and gyrfalcons
known as the largest animal
migration in the world, the
home of brown and polar
bears.
Basin Geology
Sadlerochit formation – The key reservoir of Prudhoe Bay, contains sandstone and
conglomerate of Permo-Triassic Ivishak formation (Sadlerochit group) this is Triassic-aged
contain sandstone and conglomerate depth of 300 to 600 feet.
The main oil bearing reservoir deposited in shallow marine (lower part) environment and non
marine alluvial complex (upper part).
Shublick formation – It contains organic and muddy, sandstone, phosphate sandstone,
limestone, mudstone and silty limestone.
They have low marine energy with high biologic productivity deposited by sediments.
Hence, they represent lapse of regional marine.
Shublick formation is marine calcareous shale, primarily it is partly composed with calcium
carbonate.
Sag river formation - this formation is a continuous reservoir that form large part of the Prudhoe
Bay field. Hence, the reservoir condition continues to improve in northeast direction of the field.
Stratigraphy
 The stratigraphy of the North Slope is divided
in four sequentially from oldest to the
youngest, Franklinian, Ellesmerian,
Beaufortian and Brookian sequence.
 The rock strata are in order and relative
position strata and relationship to the
geological timescale of the Prudhoe Bay
field.
 The North Slope is the furthermost
widespread, the least deformed which
represents the greatest geological time
scale quality and the best studied.
 Depositional History
Sedimentary rocks deposited
containing Sadlerochit,
sandstone and organic-rich
shale and makings of oil and gas
system.
The major portion of Prudhoe
Bay field contains crude oil
Sandstone deposit around 500
feet thick deltaic high-quality
with permeability from 50 to
3,000 md and porosities of 15 to
30% BV.
LOCATION
 Prudhoe Bay is located on Alaska
North Slope.
 The largest conventional oil field in
the United States and 10th largest
natural gas field.
 It covers 213,543 acres (86,418 ha)
containing almost 25 billion barrels
(4.0 × 109 m3) of oil and has
produced over 13 billion barrels.
 Daily production approximately
300,000 bbl/day and gas of 46 trillion
cubic feet (50% recoverable).
PRODUCERS / OWNERSHIP

• The field is operated by BP

Exploration (Alaska) Inc.,
ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil
and Chevron
 FIELD BASIN

 Prudhoe Bay field is located in

Colville Basin, sloping downward into
small ocean basin.
 Colville is called “hawk heaven, the
largest animal migration in the world.
 Concentrated on fluids that are
migrating towards the Early Tertiary
and Late Cretaceous.
 Migration take place during
Sagavanirktok formation deposition.
FIELD GEOLOGY
 Sadlerochit formation –. The main oil bearing reservoir
deposited in shallow marine (lower part) environment
and non marine alluvial complex (upper part).
o Sadlerochit contains the principal petroleum strata
and is among the ten largest field on earth.
 Shublick formation – It contains organic and muddy,
sandstone, phosphate sandstone, limestone,
mudstone and silty limestone
 Sag river formation - this formation is a continuous
reservoir that form large part of the Prudhoe Bay
field. Hence, the reservoir condition continues to
improve in northeast direction of the field.
STRATIGRAPHY
 The stratigraphy of the North Slope is divided
in four sequentially from oldest to the
youngest, Franklinian, Ellesmerian, Beaufortian
and Brookian sequence.
 The formation is divided to upper and low
part
 The sedimentary deposit environment is by
rivers and merged streams on the upper part
of the formation.
 Sadlerochit formation, a prevailing and
supreme mature field.

Generalized Stratigraphy column of North Slope subterranean grouped according to

regions (Moore, Wallace, Karl, Mull & Dillon, 1994, p.57).
DEPOSITIONAL HISTORY
 The major portion contains crude
oil from the middle to upper
Triassic Shublik Formation,
approximatly 59%, an
heterogeneous source rock. (See
Figure 3).
 The key Permo-Triassic reservoir is
a sandstone deposit
 Sand and gravel grains initially
deposited contain quartz, chert,
quartzite and fragments of shales
and siltstones.
Reservoir Characteristics
• Prudhoe Bay Field is consisted of a unique Permo-
Triassic aged Ivishak Reservoir

• It is around 500 ft thick with porosities ranging from

15 to 30% and permeability running from 50 to
3000 md

• The oil was managed at a ceratin production rate

of 1.2 x 106 BOPD
The Source
Prudhoe Bay shows a perfect combination of:
 Petroleum source rocks
 Porous reservoir rocks
 Trap formation

Carter, R. D., Mull, C. G., Bird, K. J., & Powers, R. B. (1977). Petroleum geology and hydrocarbon potential of Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4,
North Slope, Alaska (No. USGS-OFR-77-475). Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA (USA).
 In Prudhoe Bay, both Cretaceous and Jurassic are great source rocks.
 The Cretaceous is overlying on the truncated edge of every single main
reservoir, the main source for most of the oil at Prudhoe Bay.
 The Shublik formation contains two types of kerogen.

Carter, R. D., Mull, C. G., Bird, K. J., & Powers, R. B. (1977). Petroleum geology and hydrocarbon potential of Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4, North
Slope, Alaska (No. USGS-OFR-77-475). Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA (USA).
The Trap
 The trap formation at Prudhoe bay is resulting in a considerable accumulation.
 Prudhoe Bay field includes mixed oil from the formation of the Triassic Shublik
and Cretaceous Huegamma ray zone in addition to lesser input from the
Jurassic Kingak shale.

Schenk, O., & Bird, K. Timing of Petroleum System Events Controls Accumulations on the North Slope, Alaska.
 We have two types of traps: stratigraphic and structural traps
 In Prudhoe Bay, we have combinations of these 2 type of traps

Dolewski, E. Prudhoe Bay and the Alpine Oilfield in northeast Alaska: Geology and Economy.
Exploration and Production
 Exploration Stages

Geoscience Exploration Development

Geophysical surveys With geological If a exploration well

provide estimation of research complied is successful,
subsurface properties exploration is construction of a
encouraging carried out to drilling rig begins
exploration investment. discover crude oil.
 Discovery History

First recorded as Exxon and Atlantic Richfield Oil Prudhoe Bay State
a potential oil Corporation formed to explore well NO.1 was
field the south of Prudhoe Bay. developed.

1960 1964 1968

1963 1966 1969

BP began exploration After drilling many With the aid of BP

drilling and acquired exploration wells, exploration an
options to lease about geologist’s working for confirmation well
150,000 acres by the Atlantic stuck oil. was drilled
state of Alaska
Field Exploration
 Geologist conducted seismic
survey’s and produced
geological maps of the North
Slope
 The maps were compiled and
exploration wells were drilled
to discover deposits
 It was costing the industry
$250 million from dry wells until
1966

Ragsdale, R., et al (2008). Harnessing a Giant. Petroleum News.

 Exploration Data

• The Kingak formation is composed of shale with thin intervals of

sandstone and limestone.
• The Ivishak formation is mainly sandstone with interbedded
gravel and shale in the lower portion of the interval.

Ensley, R. (1989). Analysis of compressional‐ and shear‐wave seismic data from the Prudhoe Bay field.
50 YEARS OF DRILLING
& PRODUCTION

DISCOVERY-1822 -1921

EVALUATION – 1922-1966

EXPLORATION- 1966-1977

DEVELOPMENT DRILLING &

PRODUCTION- 1977 – TILL DATE…..
4800 exploratory and production
wells drilled in 223 well pads.
 A SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF A WELL DRILLED IN PRUDHOE BAY
Wellhead/X-mass tree

20 inch conductor casing at 110 ft

13 3/8 casing at 2700 ft

9 5/8 casing at 9500 ft

7 inch liner at 11500 ft.

4 ½ tubing for production

9 5/8 casing packer

Simpson, O.G. (1983). World Petroleum Congress. RTD 1(1) Production at Prudhoe Bay, WPC-20213.131-139.
PRODUCTION PEAK AND DECLINE

Production was at its peak in 1988. Advanced Share of major players as per
drilling techniques/water injection started in 1990. current date:
Current production 281,000 BBLS/DAY
Prudhoe bay ownership
1%

26%
35%

36%

ConocoPhillips Exxon Mobil BP Chevron

 HORIZONTAL WELLS/SIDE TRACKS/MULTI-LATERAL &
EXTENDED REACH WELLS

 COMPARISON OF OIL PRODUCTION FROM  COMPARISON OF OIL & GAS PRODUCTION

DIFFERENT TYPES OF WELLS IN Prudhoe bay FROM DIFFERENT TYPES OF WELLS IN Prudhoe
bay
 CTD/BP’S COST REDUCTION STEP

 CTD for all completions:  CTD for all side-tracks –over 250
nos. till date
CONTRIBUTION TO STAKEHOLDERS
BP Net Profit 2016-$115 Million
Alaska Rest of world
• BP operates on behalf of
Conoco-Phillips and Exxon-
Mobil
• Satellite fields of Prudhoe
bay –Aurora, Orion, Polaris,
Midnight Sun, Borealis
contribute to 7000 BOE per
day for BP
Reserves
Reserves
 One of the largest oil fields in the US

 Original Oil-in-Place: 25 billion bbl

 Recoverable Oil: 16 billion bbl

 Original Gas-in-Place: 46 trillion cu. ft

 Recoverable Gas: 26 trillion cu. ft

Thrasher, D., Nottingham, D., Stechauner, B., Ohms, D., Stechauner, G., Singh, P. K., & Angarita, M. L. (2016). Waterflood Sweep Improvement at
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. SPE Improved Oil Recovery Conference. Society of Petroleum Engineers.
Reservoir Dimensions
 Fluvial-Deltaic model
 Thickness of 550 feet
 Span of 213,543 acres
 Composed of Siliciclastic
and Conglomerates
 Structural and
Stratigraphic Traps

van Poollen, H. K. (1978). Reservoir Modeling-Prudhoe Bay Sadlerochit.

SPE Gas Technology Symposium. Society of Petroleum Engineers.
Net Pay Zones
Four Main Zones

 Zone 4: Homogenous sandstone

 Zone 3: Large variations in grain sizes
 Zone 2: Sandstone and shales
 Zone 1: Transition between marine shales

Wadman, D. H., Lamprecht, D. E., & Mrosovsky, I. (1979). Joint geologic/engineering

analysis of the Sadlerochit reservoir, Prudhoe Bay field.
Journal of Petroleum Technology, 31(07), 933-940.
Fluid Contacts
 Determined through Sonic
and Neutron Logs
 Apparent Water Resistivity
Technique (Tixier & Tanguy, 1960)
 GOC at 8,578 feet
 OWC ranges from
8,950 to 9,050 feet

Cedillo, G., Raeesi, B., Itter, D., Han, X., & Zett, A. (2017). Comparison of Multi-Detector Pulsed Neutron Nuclear Attributes of Multiple Vendors in the
Prudhoe Bay Alaska. SPWLA 58th Annual Logging Symposium. Society of Petrophysicists and Well-Log Analysts.
 Mechanisms affecting EUR

Cedillo, G., Raeesi, B., Itter, D., Han, X., & Zett, A. (2017). Comparison of Multi-Detector Pulsed Neutron Nuclear Attributes of Multiple Vendors in the
Prudhoe Bay Alaska. SPWLA 58th Annual Logging Symposium. Society of Petrophysicists and Well-Log Analysts.
Thank you