ConocoPhillips Alaska has achieved first oil production on the North Slope at the Greater Mooses Tooth #1 (GMT1), the company announced Oct. 9.
The GMT1 drill site is located in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), an area of land on the Alaska North Slope owned by the U.S. federal government and managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Peak production for GMT1 is forecasted to be 25,000 to 30,000 barrels of oil per day and the project is expected to cost $725 million, which includes construction and drilling expenses.
GMT1 has an 11.8-acre drilling pad, a 7.6-mile road and pipeline facilities connected to the Colville River Unit infrastructure.
The pad will begin with nine wells, with capacity for up to 33 wells.
The company said during peak construction, GMT1 was responsible for creating 700 jobs.
“This is another milestone for development in the NPR-A,” ConocoPhillips Alaska president Joe Marushack said in a company release.
ConocoPhillips plans to continue its investments in North Slope projects and is currently awaiting a Record of Decision and permits for development of a second drill site in the Greater Mooses Tooth Unit (GMT2), about eight miles southwest of GMT1.
Construction on GMT2 could commence early 2019 and would cost more than $1 billion.
Peak production is forecast at 35,000 to 40,000 barrels of oil per day.