The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is seeking public comments on the Liberty Oil and Gas Project in Beaufort Sea having published a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The draft EIS from the US federal agency analyzes the potential environmental impacts that could result from the proposed offshore oil and gas development and production project by Hilcorp Alaska.
BOEM has commenced a 90-day period that ends on 18 November before which it would hold public hearings and record comments, which will all be used eventually for the preparation of the final EIS.
BOEM Acting Director Walter Cruikshank said: “The federal submerged lands of the Beaufort Sea are known to have great oil and gas potential.
“They also contain sensitive marine and coastal resources that Alaska Native communities depend on for subsistence.
“During this comment period we look forward to discussing this draft EIS with the Beaufort Sea coastal communities and getting meaningful feedback on ways it can be refined and enhanced.”
The Liberty Oil and Gas Project will be developed jointly by Hilcorp Alaska, BP and ASRC Exploration (AEX).
Liberty, which is believed to have 80-150 million barrels of recoverable oil, is the largest light-oil reservoir to be developed on the North Slope according to the partners. The oil field having a life expectancy of 15-20 years is expected to have a peak production of 60,000-70,000 barrels/day within a couple of years of initial production.
Development of the oil reservoir is anticipated to make up for the reducing oil production on the North Slope and help in boosting the lifetime and efficiency of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.
The Anchorage-based Hilcorp Alaska had submitted a development and production plan (DPP) for the Liberty project to BOEM in mid-September 2015.
As per the DPP, Hilcorp plans to create a small man-made gravel island, nearly 32kms east of Prudhoe Bay, in the 19ft shallow federal waters of the Beaufort Sea.
The oil and natural gas company intends to build a “pipe-in-pipe” subsea pipeline to transport oil to shore with the offshore part of it to be laid in a trench before getting buried. Onshore, the pipeline will be connected with the Badami pipeline which is linked to existing oil and gas set up at Prudhoe Bay.