Photos by Judy Patrick
corporate approval. Hilcorp decided to go ahead with the technology after it acquired the field from BP. The company began the injection of polymers in 2018 and is now in- jecting 60,000 barrels a day with plans to increase it to 160,000 barrels per day. Hilcorp will also use the tech- nology to increase production at the Nikaitchuq field that it recently ac- quired and the Ugnu heavy oil deposit at Milne Point. Hilcorp now has 110 employees and 400 contractor em- ployees at Milne Point.
Hilcorp currently has 830 employ- ees and 1,500 contractor employees working at Prudhoe, Fisk said. At the Milne Point field, which is adjacent to Prudhoe Bay, production reached 51,000 barrels per day in Jan- uary, a record. The field has been a real success story. When Hilcorp ac- quired Milne Point from BP in 2014, production was 14,000 barrels per day. Hilcorp has been particularly suc- cessful with its use of a polymer flood (injection) to increase viscous oil pro- duction at Milne Point. Interestingly, BP’s Alaska managers proposed the polymer project to increase viscous oil production but were unable to get
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A major focus for Hilcorp at Prud- hoe this year is new development of viscous, or thick, oil in the unde- veloped parts of Prudhoe’ west end. Hilcorp has been able to increase the west-end viscous oil production from 10,000 barrels per day in 2020 to 30,000 barrels per day currently. More increases at Prudhoe are coming. Modifications to field pro- duction plants are underway to handle more of the thicker oil and construc- tion of a new 30-inch liquids pipeline and 12-inch gas line is underway this winter to support new production.
— Tim Bradner
THE LINK: MARCH 2025
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