[http://www.alyeska-pipe.com/Pipelinefacts/North%20Slope.html]

North Slope

A nearly flat, treeless plain, covering about 88,000 square miles extending from the foothills of the Brooks Mountain range to the Arctic Ocean.

Coastal Plain of ANWR — (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge)

90 miles east of Prudhoe Bay

1.5 million acres-coastal plain

Environment

For 56 days in winter the sun never rises. Winter twilight provides sufficient light for driving without headlights during the day. Winter temperatures drop to between -55° F and -60° F. Wind chill factor may fall as low as -135° F. From mid-April to mid-August, there is daylight 24 hours a day. Summer temperatures climb to 70° F and higher.

Oil discovery

Exploratory drilling on the North Slope continued for more than 20 years; many unsuccessful exploratory wells were drilled and many companies gave up the search before the Prudhoe Bay discovery well was drilled by Atlantic Richfield Company and Humble Oil and Refining Company in 1967. A confirmation well the following year proved the discovery of the large oil and gas reservoir.

North slope oil production for all fields and pools

2000 - 344.4 million bbl.

Total Cumulative, through 2000 - 12.9 billion bbl.

Prudhoe Bay

A coastal feature of the Beaufort Sea, approximately 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle, and 1,300 miles south of the North Pole.

Also used generally to describe a land area of petroleum development of Alaska's North Slope: 18th largest field in the world. Largest field in North America.

Oil formations, major fields

Badami — Onshore 35 miles east of Prudhoe Bay

Recoverable reserves at discovery — estimated 120 million bbls.

Start up — 1998.

Formation depth — 10,000 feet

Colville River, Alpine — Onshore 34 miles west of Kuparuk River oil field.

Recoverable reserves at discovery — estimated 400 million bbls.

Start up — Nov. 11, 2000

Production, 2000 — 2.2 million bbls.; avg. 44,000 bbls/day.

Production, Cumulative — 2.2 million bbls

Endicott — Offshore, 10 miles northeast of Prudhoe Bay.

Recoverable reserves at discovery — 350 million bbl.

Est. recoverable reserves, 1999 — 600 million bbl.

Start up — Oct. 3, 1987

Production, 2000 — 12 million bbls.; avg. 33,000 bbls./day approx.

Production, Cumulative — 401.4 million bbls.

Formation depth — 10,200 ft.

Kuparuk, Total Pools — Onshore, 40 mi. west of Prudhoe Bay.

Oil in place at discovery — 5.3 billion bbl. approx.

Recoverable reserves at discovery — estimated 2.2 billion bbl.

Est. recoverable reserves, 1999 — 2.7 billion bbl

Production, 2000 — 86.3 million bbls.; avg. 236,000 bbls./day approx.

Production, Cumulative — 1.9 billion bbls.

Start up — Dec. 1981.

Formation depth — 6,300 ft. avg.

Milne Point, Total Pools — Onshore 35 miles northwest of Prudhoe Bay.

Recoverable reserves estimated in excess of 200 million bbl.

Est. recoverable reserves, 1999 — 400 billion bbl

Production, 2000 — 19 million bbls.; avg. 52,000 bbls./day approx.

Production, Cumulative — 144.5 million bbls.

Start up — Nov. 1985.

"Warm" shutdown — Dec. 1987-1989.

Formation depths — 4,000 to 9,000 ft.

Northstar — Offshore, 5 miles north west of Prudhoe Bay.

Recoverable reserves at discovery — estimated 130 million bbl.

Start up — targeted for 2001

Expected average daily production — estimated 65,000 bbls.

Prudhoe Bay, Total Pools

Production, 2000 — 200 million bbls.; avg. 546,500 bbls./day approx.

Production, Cumulative — 10.3 billion bbls.

Includes 9 fields on shore at Prudhoe Bay.

Pt. McIntyre — Near-shore, about 2 miles north of Prudhoe Bay.

Oil in place at discovery — 800 million bbl.

Recoverable reserves at discovery — 300 million bbl.

Est. recoverable reserves at discovery — 1999, 400 million bbl.

Production, 2000 — 23.7 million bbls.; avg. 65,000 bbls./day approx

Start up — Oct. 14, 1993

Waterflood and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods are enhancing oil production from several North Slope fields, including Prudhoe Bay, Kaparuk, Endicott and Pt. McIntyre.

Waterflooding — a system of pumping water into the reservoir behind the produced oil to maintain reservoir pressure and ultimately recover more oil.

(EOR) — a miscible gas solvent injected into the reservoir to sweep stranded oil toward product wells.