Lake Raccourci - Hilcorp

Location

The Liberty Prospect is situated approximately 8.85 kilometers offshore in the Beaufort Sea, within the barrier islands. It is located 32 kilometers east of Prudhoe Bay and about 13 kilometers east of the existing BP-operated Endicott oil field.

Ownership and Operatorship

In November 2014, Hilcorp Alaska LLC acquired the primary ownership and operatorship of the Liberty Project from BP. This acquisition was part of a larger deal where Hilcorp bought BP’s interests in the Endicott and Northstar oilfields and a 50-percent interest in each of the Liberty and Milne Point fields.

Resource Estimates

Hilcorp estimates that the Liberty Unit contains approximately 150 million barrels of recoverable, high-quality crude oil.

Development Plan

The Development and Production Plan (DPP) for the Liberty Prospect involves building a drilling and processing facility on a man-made gravel island about 9 kilometers offshore. This approach is similar to Hilcorp’s Northstar Facility, which is located about 50 kilometers to the northwest and began production in October 2001. The plan includes the construction of a gravel island, drilling operations, and the installation of necessary infrastructure such as pipelines.

Environmental Impact

The project has undergone extensive environmental review. In 2012, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) published the Liberty Development and Production Plan Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which evaluated the proposed action, alternatives, and the estimated environmental effects. The EIS analyzed various component alternatives, including island location and pipeline route, pipeline design, upper slope-protection system, gravel mine site, and pipeline burial depth.

Regulatory Process

The project has been subject to several regulatory milestones. In 2016, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) notified Hilcorp of the addition of Lease OCS-Y-01886 to the Liberty Unit, and Hilcorp requested BSEE approval for the expansion of the Liberty Unit to include this lease. The comment period for the Liberty Prospect EIS was extended, and BOEM received the DPP from Hilcorp, initiating a preliminary review to ensure all required components were included.

Current Status

As of the latest available information, the project is in the regulatory review phase, with ongoing assessments and public comment periods to inform the preparation of the Final EIS. The exact current status may require more recent updates from regulatory bodies or Hilcorp's official communications.