Endicott

Location and Facilities

• The Endicott field is situated approximately 15 miles east of Prudhoe Bay, in the Beaufort Sea. It consists of three manmade gravel islands: the Endicott Main Production Island (MPI), the Endicott Satellite Drilling Island (SDI), and another smaller island. These islands are about 2.5 miles seaward of the Sagavanirktok River Delta, in water up to 14 feet deep.

Operations and Infrastructure

• The Endicott facility includes drilling and production systems, approximately 120 wells, a base operations center, and support facilities. The site is connected by a crude oil transmission pipeline that runs from Endicott to Pump Station 1 of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS).
• The Badami pipeline, which is part of the project, runs from the Badami production facility (31 miles east of Deadhorse, Alaska) to the Endicott tie-in.

Environmental and Regulatory Considerations

• The project is subject to stringent oil spill prevention and response regulations. The Oil Discharge Prevention and Contingency Plan (ODPCP) for Endicott and Badami addresses both state and federal requirements, including those of the State of Alaska and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), as well as the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).
• The ODPCP includes detailed response strategies for various scenarios such as well blowouts, crude oil transmission pipeline releases, and diesel storage tank ruptures. It also outlines the use of advanced technologies like mass-balance line-pack compensation systems and pigging according to DOT requirements.

Mitigation Measures and Environmental Impact

• To minimize environmental impacts, the project incorporates several mitigation measures. For example, the Liberty (SDI) Project, an extension of the Endicott operations, uses existing infrastructure to reduce the need for new construction and associated environmental impacts. This includes using lined, bermed areas for storage tanks, discharge detection technology, and tank overfill-protection technology.
• The project avoids sensitive areas such as the Boulder Patch and minimizes impacts on marine mammals and fish habitats. Ice roads are used for temporary construction activities, which are designed to melt during breakup to avoid permanent damage.

Production History

• The Endicott Field is the first Arctic offshore producing oil field. It began production with the aim of achieving optimum recovery through techniques such as waterflooding, as indicated by early reservoir studies.
• The field has recovered 87.98% of its total recoverable reserves, with peak production achieved in 2010.

Current Status and Future Developments

• As of recent updates, the Endicott Unit has been a mature field with significant production history. The Liberty (SDI) Project, which is part of the ongoing development, leverages existing infrastructure to enhance production while minimizing environmental impacts.

In summary, the Endicott oil project is a complex and environmentally sensitive operation that has been in production for several decades, with a strong focus on regulatory compliance, environmental mitigation, and efficient resource recovery.