ACTION ALERT
Reminder: Liberty Project Comment Deadline
Monday, March 28, 2016

Read RDC's Comment Letter

Overview:
Hilcorp Alaska, LLC is currently pursuing the necessary permits and authorizations to develop the Liberty reservoir several miles offshore the central North Slope.  The first major step in this process is the approval of the Development and Production Plan (DPP), which Hilcorp recently filed with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). BOEM has extended the public comment period on the preparation of a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) to Monday, March 28, 2016.

The Liberty oilfield contains one of the largest potential sources of new light oil production on the North Slope, with an estimated 80-130 million barrels of recoverable oil. Development of Liberty will help offset declining light oil production on the North Slope and contribute to increasing the life span and efficiency of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS).

New oil is needed to keep the pipeline operating efficiently now that throughput is less than 25 percent of capacity. An additional 60,000-70,000 barrels of oil per day from Liberty will be an important addition to keeping the pipeline operational for decades to come.

The Liberty field would produce oil from an existing lease in the Beaufort Sea using a man-made gravel island. Artificial islands in the Beaufort Sea date back to the mid-1970s. In the last 40 years, 18 islands have been responsibly constructed for exploration and development of oil and gas.

Liberty is well past the exploration phase and the DPP outlines how the oil from the reservoir will be developed and produced. The oil will be shipped by pipeline into existing infrastructure on the North Slope and into TAPS.

The initial discovery of Liberty occurred in the 1980s after an artificial island was built in 1981 and 1982 to support exploratory drilling. Hilcorp’s Liberty DPP can be viewed at: http://www.boem.gov/Hilcorp-Liberty/

Action Requested:
BOEM is accepting public scoping comment on the preparation of the DEIS on the Liberty DPP up to March 28, 2016.

PREPARATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS) FOR LIBERTY DPP
https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/09/25/2015-24391/outer-continental-shelf-alaska-region-beaufort-sea-planning-area-liberty-development-and-production

Supporting the EIS process

Responsible development in the Beaufort Sea has been heavily studied and achieved in recent years.  It’s important for regulators to take note that Hilcorp’s Liberty DPP incorporates existing and recently compiled data as well as lessons learned from the initial EIS drafted in 1999 in response to a submission by BP.  The key components of Hilcorp’s newly submitted plan for Liberty are based on the very same concepts approved in the prior EIS.  Those areas include but are not limited to: proposed island location, gravel island construction, method of construction, on-island drilling and processing facilities, pipeline route to shore.

Points to consider in your comments:

  • The Liberty oilfield contains one of the largest potential sources of new light oil production on the North Slope, with an estimated 80-130 million barrels of recoverable oil.
  • Development of Liberty will help offset declining light oil production on the North Slope and contribute to increasing the life span and efficiency of TAPS.
  • New oil is needed to keep the pipeline operating efficiently now that throughput is less than 25 percent of capacity. An additional 60,000-70,000 barrels of oil per day from Liberty will be an important addition to keeping the pipeline operational for decades to come.
  • Artificial islands in the Beaufort Sea date back to the mid-1970s.  In the last 40 years, 18 islands have been responsibly constructed for exploration and development of oil and gas off the Alaska coast.
  • Hilcorp will utilize the construction and operational technology perfected at Alaska’s other offshore facilities. It’s proven to be a safe and effective means for oil and gas development in the Arctic. Like Liberty, the majority of the artificial islands were constructed in shallow water depths less than 20 feet.
  • Alaska has a 30-year record of safely operating offshore in the Arctic. Endicott, the first offshore development on the North Slope, has been in operation for almost three decades, and now there are three other offshore fields in production: Northstar (2001), Oooguruk (2008) and Nikaitchuq (2011).
  • As the first Outer Continental Shelf oil project in the U.S. Arctic, Liberty will provide important tax and economic benefits to the federal government, the State of Alaska and North Slope Borough. It will generate well-paying construction and permanent jobs for Alaskans. It will create opportunities for many Alaska businesses.
  • In its recent report, the National Petroleum Council said the U.S. should immediately begin oil and gas exploration and development in the U.S. Arctic or risk a renewed heavy reliance on imported oil in the future. In order for the U.S. to keep domestic production high and imports low, oil companies should move forward with new Arctic development.  If development proceeds, production could come on line around the same time that Lower 48 production is projected to decline sharply. 

Comment Deadline: March 28, 2016