Abstract
Drilling oil wells on the North Slope of Alaska is not a new endeavor. Thousands of wells have been drilled over the past two decades in order to fill the Trans Alaska Pipeline. The majority of these wells have been drilled from a number of large drilling pads connected via a road network. Some of the newer developments have been drilled from remote pads accessible by fixed wing aircraft and ice road during the winter. So what is it that makes the Northstar Development stand out among all other drilling operations on the North Slope? It is the first Arctic Offshore Development that is not accessible by road for most of the year and does not have fixed wing air support. The implications of limited access to a 400’ by 400’ island are enormous. Successful completion of the first drilling season at Northstar is a significant milestone marked by detailed design and execution as well as pure determination. Many of the challenges were anticipated and accounted for while many others were not. The first Arctic Offshore Development delivered its first barrels of oil as per schedule on 2nd November 2001. Now comes the next challenge-drilling more for less to improve the profitability of this unique Alaskan project.
