Prior Exploration Activities in the McCovey Unit Area. The proposed McCovey Unit is located in State and Federal waters of the Beaufort Sea approximately 3 miles east of the Northstar field and 7 miles north of the Prudhoe Bay field. The Prudhoe Bay field was discovered in 1968 and began production in 1977. The Northstar field was discovered in 1983 and is scheduled to commence production in November 2001. Three exploratory xxxxx, Sohio Reindeer Island #1, Amoco No Name Island #1 and Gulf Cross Island #1, were drilled in the vicinity of the McCovey Unit area and are pertinent to its understanding. Sohio drilled the Reindeer Island No. 1 well in 1979 as a stratigraphic test on Tract 5 in the proposed XxXxxxx Unit. The well drilled the entire stratigraphic section and achieved total depth in the Franklinian basement at –13,616’ subsea. Sohio subsequently plugged and abandoned the well. The Gulf Cross Island #1 and Amoco No Name Island #1 xxxxx are located outside the proposed McCovey Unit area to the east and southeast respectively. Both xxxxx targeted prospective horizons in the Ellesmerian section and achieved total depth in the Franklinian basement. Amoco drilled the No Name Island #1 well in 1981/82 to a total depth of –11,320’ subsea. After failing to encounter economic hydrocarbons, Amoco plugged and abandoned the No Name Island #1 well. Gulf drilled the Cross Island #1 well in 1983/84 to a total depth of –14,194’ subsea, and plugged and abandoned it as well when it failed to encounter economic hydrocarbons. All three xxxxx provide data on the Brookian section to be encountered in the McCovey Unit area.
