Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Information Program: Gulf of Alaska and Lower Cook Inlet summary Report 2

Technical Report · Mon Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:5994542

Collins, K M; Stadnychenko, A

The search for oil and gas on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Alaska subregion of the Alaska leasing Region began in 1967, when geophysical surveys of the area were initiated. Three lease sales have been held in the subregion. Lease Sale 39, for the northern Gulf of Alaska, was held on April 13, 1976, and resulted in the leasing of 76 tracts. Lease Sale CI, for Lower Cook Inlet, was held on October 27, 1977, and resulted in the leasing of 87 tracts. Lease Sale 55, held on October 21, 1980, resulted in the leasing of 35 tracts in the eastern Gulf of Alaska. Commercial amounts of hydrocarbons have not been found in any of the wells drilled in either the Sale 39 or Sale CI areas. As of February 1981, 75 of the 76 leases issued in the northern Gulf of Alaska have been relinquished, and 18 of the 87 CI leases have been relinquished. The next lease sale in the Gulf of Alaska, Sale RS-1 (a reoffering sale), is scheduled for late June 1981. Lease Sale 60 (Lower Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait) is scheduled for September 1981. The most recent estimate by the US Geological Survey (USGS) of risked, economically recoverable resources for the one tract currently under lease in the northern Gulf of Alaska is that they are negligible. For the 35 tracts currently under lease (plus two tracts offered but not leased) in the northeastern Gulf of Alaska, the USGS has estimated risked, economically recoverable resource estimates of 12.6 million barrels of oil and 45.4 billion cubic feet of gas. Onshore impacts from OCS exploration in the Gulf of Alaska have been minimal. Two communities - Yakutat and Seward - served as support bases for past northern Gulf of Alaska exploration efforts. Kenai and Homer provided support for the exploratory drilling in Lower Cook Inlet. Yakutat will serve as the support base for Sale 55 exploration activities.

• Research Organization: Rogers, Golden and Halpern, Inc., Philadelphia, PA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5994542
• Report Number(s): USGS-OFR-81-607; ON: DE82900822
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020700* -- Petroleum-- Economics
Industrial
& Business Aspects
03 NATURAL GAS
030600 -- Natural Gas-- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
294002 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Petroleum
294003 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Natural Gas
ALASKA
COMMUNITIES
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
CONTINENTAL SHELF
DRILLING
ECONOMIC IMPACT
EVALUATION
EXPLORATORY WELLS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GULF OF ALASKA
LEASES
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NORTH AMERICA
OFFSHORE DRILLING
PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGION
PACIFIC OCEAN
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PRODUCTIVITY
RESOURCE POTENTIAL
RESOURCES
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
USA
WELLS