Long Term Exploration | Eastern North Slope - South Thomson Area
The exploration history of acreage flanking the South Thomson holdings is an extremely positive one. Hydrocarbons were first discovered in 1975 in the Point Thomson Paleocene Flaxman Sand turbidites. Current evaluations assign up to 10.4 TSCF and 490 to 600 MMSTB of condensate in place. This trend is contiguous with Brooks Range’s acreage to the west and south. Paleocene discoveries by BP in turbidite sandstones are estimated to contain 100 million barrels of recoverable oil which borders the BRPC leasehold.
- BRPC lease holdings are considered high potential
- Location proximal to proven reserves in a structural setting along the flank of the Barrow Arch trend. Excellent source rock potential and petroleum migration history
- Multiple potential reservoirs (Lisburne, Kekiktuk, Point Thomson/Kemik & Paleocene turbidites)
- Excellent reservoir quality enhanced by erosional unconformities and geopressures
- Multiple play types including fractured basement traps, unconformity subcrop traps, stratigraphic traps, combined structural/stratigraphic traps, all of which have been locally proven successful
- Available well data from critical neighboring wells and recently-interpreted 2D seismic data
- Higher Risks - Huge Rewards
- Lightly Explored
- Proven Fairway
- All Nearby Exploration Wells Had Shows or Tested Oil
- Adjacent Pt. Thomson, 10.4 TCF Gas, 600 Million Barrels Condensate
- Same Trends as ANWR
- Pt. Thomson Pipeline In-Place by 2014, Providing Outlet for Production
- 92,000 Contiguous Acres
Regional Geology, Petroleum Systems and Play Types
The South Thomson holdings are situated along both the crest and southern flank of the southeast plunging Barrow Arch, an ancient structural feature along which most of the North Slope’s oil and gas accumulations are located. Along the Barrow Arch trend source rock potential and timing of migration is rarely considered an issue. The greatest risk is typically reservoir quality followed by efficient trapping mechanisms.
The Franklinian Megasequence is regionally considered economic basement and ranges in age from Proterozoic to Devonian. Play types include Fractured Franklinian basement targets. [Pt Thomson field]
The Ellesmerian Megasequence consists of Mississippian through Jurassic clastic and carbonate strata deposited on a stable continental shelf from a northerly source. Play Types include lower Cretaceous Unconformity (LCU) traps in the Lisburne and Kekiktuk formations. [Prudhoe Bay, Endicott Fields]
The Beaufortian Megasequence consists of Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous synrift deposits derived locally or from the north. Play types include lower Cretaceous combined structural & stratigraphic targets in the Kemik and Point Thomson sands. [Kuparuk River, Alpine Fields]
The Brookian Megasequence comprises Cretaceous through Tertiary deposits derived from the Brooks Range orogen. Within BRPC leaseholdings clastic deposition ranges down section from topset non-marine deltaic to forset slope and basin plain facies. Play types include Tertiary age deepwater stratigraphic targets. [Tarn, West Sak/Schrader Fields]
South Thomson Play Fairways
