Hilcorp Alaska LLC

May 9 2022 Hilcorp Response on Liberty

BSEE approves Hilcorp's request for a Suspension of Production on the Liberty Unit.

A Notice of Availability for the Liberty EIS Record of Decision (ROD) is published in the Federal Register.

A Notice of Availability for the Liberty EIS Record of Decision (ROD) is posted to the Federal Register's Reading Room.

BOEM issues conditional approval for Hilcorp’s Liberty Project Development and Production Plan (see entry for May 26, 2017, below). A Notice of Availability relating to the Record of Decision on the EIS will appear in the Federal Register’s Reading Room Thursday, Oct. 25, and in the Federal Register itself Friday, Oct. 26.

• Press Release
• Letter of Conditional Approval
• Record of Decision and Notice of Availability (see entry for Aug 23, 2018)

A Notice of Availability relating to the Final EIS for Hilcorp's proposed Liberty Project is published in the Federal Register.

A Notice of Availability relating to the Final EIS for Hilcorp's proposed Liberty Project is published in the Federal Register's Reading Room.

Aug 23

BOEM makes available a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) analyzing the possible environmental impacts of activities proposed in a development and production plan (DPP) submitted to BOEM by Hilcorp Alaska LLC on Sept. 18, 2015. A Notice of Availability concerning this EIS will publish in the Federal Register's Reading Room on Thursday, Aug. 30, and in the Federal Register itself on Friday, Aug. 31.

• Press Release
• Final EIS Vol. 1 (Chapters 1-6)
• Final EIS Vol. 2 (Chapter 7 and Appendices A-C)
• Appendix A: Oil Spill Analysis
• Attachment 1: Wetland Delineation Report
• Attachment 2: Air Quality
• Attachment 3: Archaeological Resources
• Attachment 4: Baseline Human Health Summary
• Attachment 5: 2017 NMFS Marine Mammal Emergency Response Standards

Public comment period on Liberty draft EIS closes.

In response to a request from stakeholders, BOEM will now accept public comments on the Liberty draft EIS until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. To comment, see instructions under Aug. 18 entry, below.  |  Note to Stakeholders

• Via regulations.gov (click the "Comment Now" button on the top right)
• Comments may be mailed to:
  BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT
  ATTN: LIBERTY DRAFT EIS COMMENTS
  BLM PUBLIC INFORMATION CENTER
  222 W 7TH AVE #13
  ANCHORAGE AK 99513
• Comments may also be submitted at one of the following scheduled public hearings (Note that these times/dates may be subject to change due to weather or other unforeseen events; be sure to check here periodically for any updates.)

Schedule of public hearings:

Date                Location

Oct 2                Nuiqsut | Transcript

Oct 3                Fairbanks | Transcript

Oct 4                Kaktovik | CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER

Oct 5                Utqiagvik/Barrow | Transcript

Oct 10              Anchorage | Transcript

Substantive comments received will be used to inform preparation of the Final EIS.

Aug 17

BOEM issues a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) analyzing the possible environmental impacts of the activities proposed in a development and production plan (DPP) submitted to BOEM by Hilcorp Alaska LLC. on Sept. 18, 2015.

Concurrently, a Notice of Availability for the draft document is published in the Federal Register's Reading Room. The Notice will appear in the Federal Register itself on Friday, Aug. 18.

The Aug. 18 Federal Register publication will initiate a public comment period running from Aug. 18 to 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017. During that time, BOEM's Alaska OCS Region will accept public comment via www.regulations.gov, and will hold public hearings in Nuiqsut, Fairbanks, Kaktovik, Utqiagvik (Barrow) and Anchorage. The comments received will be used to inform preparation of the Final EIS.

• Draft EIS: Volume 1 | Volume 2
• Press Release

Letter from the Alaska State Historic Preservation Office concurring that a "Finding of No Historical Properties Affected" is appropriate for the proposed Liberty Project.

Apr 21

BSEE notifies Hilcorp of the addition of Lease OCS-Y-01886 to the Liberty Unit.

Apr 06

Hilcorp responds to BSEE communication regarding unitization matters. Hilcorp, as operator of the Liberty Unit, requests that BSEE approve the expansion of the Liberty Unit to include oil and gas lease OCS-Y-01886.

Mar 28

Liberty Prospect EIS extended comment period closes.

Mar 04

Hilcorp submits reports in response to BOEM's request for copies of documents mentioned in the Liberty DPP.

Jan 26

BOEM extends comment period on Liberty Prospect EIS. BOEM grants this extension to support the intent of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to collect information to define the scope of issues to be addressed in depth in the analyses that will be included in the EIS, and to provide an additional opportunity for interested and affected parties to comment. Further details are available in the Note to Stakeholders.

Jan 20

Hilcorp Alaska requests a 60-day extension of the Liberty EIS scoping period.

BOEM publishes in the Federal Register a notice officially extending the Liberty EIS comment period to Jan. 26, 2016, per the Nov. 17 announcement below. Regulations.gov comment docket (NOTE: now closed).

In response to requests from the public, BOEM extends for an additional 60 days the comment period associated with the Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Liberty Development and Production Plan (DPP) in the Beaufort Sea Planning Area. 

As part of its regulatory program, BOEM on Sept. 25, 2015 issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This EIS will analyze the DPP’s potential environmental effects, and will provide opportunity for public comment. BOEM will not make a decision to approve, disapprove, or require modifications to the DPP until after the completion of the EIS.

The original 60-day comment period was to end Nov. 24, 2015. With this 60-day extension, the comment period will now end Jan. 26, 2016, giving the public additional time to provide input.

For more information on this topic, see the item dated Sept. 25, 2015 (below).

The Sept. 18 - Nov. 17 public comment period on the DPP closes (see Sept. 18 item, below).

Note that this comment period is separate and distinct from the comment period on the EIS, which is described in the entry under Sept. 25. The EIS comment period will remain open until Jan. 26, 2016.

BOEM publishes in the Federal Register a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the potential environmental effects of the DPP received from Hilcorp, Alaska LLC on Sept. 18, 2015.

The publication of the Notice in the Federal Register opens a 60-day public comment period ending at midnight Eastern Time on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015 [EDIT - On Nov. 17, 2015, BOEM announced that this comment period would be extended to Jan. 26, 2016]. During this time, BOEM will hold public scoping meetings in Alaska and accept comments through www.regulations.gov. 

SCHEDULE FOR SCOPING MEETINGS (all meetings 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.)

Nov. 2: FAIRBANKS (Westmark Conference Center)
Nov. 3: KAKTOVIK (Kaktovik Community Center)
Nov. 4: NUIQSUT (Kisik Community Center)
Nov. 5: BARROW (Iñupiat Heritage Center)
Nov. 9: ANCHORAGE (Embassy Suites, Benson Blvd)
 

Note that this comment period on the EIS is separate and distinct from the Sept. 18 - Nov. 17 comment period on the DPP itself, as described in the entry for Sept. 18, below.

• BOEM News Release
• Liberty DPP (.pdf, 9MB)
• Appendix A (EIA) and supporting files (.zip, 132MB)
• Appendices B through H (.zip, 23MB)

This initiates a 60-day period for the public to review and comment on the DPP. Comments may be submitted (and comments left by others may be viewed) through www.regulations.gov (direct link). Comments must be received by midnight Eastern Time on Nov. 17, 2015.

As part of its regulatory program, BOEM will on Sept. 25, 2015 announce a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This EIS will analyze the DPP’s potential environmental effects, and will provide opportunity for public comment. It is anticipated that the environmental analysis of the DPP will take several years and will be closely coordinated with numerous federal and state agencies and consultations with appropriate federally recognized tribes.

Upon completing a preliminary review, BOEM determines that the Development and Production Plan (DPP) received from Hilcorp on Dec. 30, 2014 does not contain sufficient information to fully address one or more of the data requirements listed under 30 CFR 550.242, and requests additional information from Hilcorp.

BOEM's Alaska OCS Region receives from Hilcorp Alaska LLC a Development and Production Plan (DPP) for the Liberty Prospect. In the DPP, Hilcorp proposes to build a drilling and processing facility on a man-made gravel island about 9 km offshore. In this respect, the plan is similar to the company’s Northstar Facility, located about 50 km to the northwest, which began production in October 2001. Having received the DPP, BOEM now has 25 working days to conduct a preliminary review to assess whether it includes all the required components. By the end of that period BOEM must either formally deem the DPP submitted, which triggers further regulatory review and a review under the National Environmental Policy Act; or let Hilcorp know what additional information would be required in order to deem the DPP submitted. BOEM will notify the public in the near future regarding public comment opportunities relating to the Liberty DPP.

Hilcorp Alaska takes over and accepts the duties and responsibilities of Operatorship of the Northstar and Liberty units. Letter to BOEM.

BOEM Alaska Region's response to BPXA letter dated May 7, 2014, requesting that BOEM AKR withdraw BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc.'s (BPXA) 2008 Development and Production Plan (DPP) for the Liberty unit leases OCS Y -1585 and Y -1650.

BPXA request that the 2008 Liberty Development and Production Plan (DPP) be withdrawn. The Liberty ultra-extended reach (uERD) project that was submitted to the Mineral Management Service (MMS) on April 25th , 2007 and formally approved by MMS on January 3rd, 2008. The 2008 DPP approval was for drilling and producing of up to six development wells from an expansion of the Endicott Satellite Drilling Island to bottom-hole locations in the OCS.

BOEM letter regarding BP Exploration (Alaska) Response to Notice to Conduct Ancillary Activities for leases OCS Y-1585 and OCSY-1650.

BP announces that it has agreed to sell interests in four BP-operated oilfields on the North Slope of Alaska to Hilcorp Alaska, LLC (Hilcorp Alaska). The sale agreement includes all of BP’s interests in the Endicott and Northstar oilfields and a 50-percent interest in each of the Liberty and the Milne Point fields. The sale also includes BP’s interests in the oil and gas pipelines associated with these fields.

BSEE letter responding to BPXA Request for Suspension of Production and revised Plan of Operation for leases OCS Y-1585 and OCSY-1650.

BPXA submits a Request for Suspension of Production (SOP) & Revised Plan of Operations for their Liberty Unit in accordance with 43 U.S.C. 1332(3), 30 CFR 250.174(a) and 30 CFR 256.73(c). BPXA requests that the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) grant a five-year SOP for leases OCS Y-1585 and Y-1650 to support the most efficient and expeditious option available for development of the Liberty Prospect.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service letter regarding the revised raven nest and fox den monitoring plan for Liberty Development.

• BP Exploration (Alaska) letter regarding Condition 2 of the Liberty Development and Production Plan.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Letter of Authorization to BP Exploration (Alaska) for the incidental take of polar bears and Pacific walrus and the intentional take of polar bears associated with oil and gas exploration, development, and production programs on the North Slope.

BP Exploration (Alaska) letter regarding the 2010 Liberty SDI Raven Nesting Monitoring Report.

BP Exploration (Alaska) letter regarding the geomagnetic observations in support of the planned Liberty Ultra Extended Reach Drilling well.

BP Exploration (Alaska) letter regarding the Notification of Signed Conflict Avoidance Agreement2009Sealift Activities Liberty Development.

BP Exploration (Alaska) letter regarding the Development and Production Plan Approval Condition #4 Liberty Development.

BP Exploration (Alaska) letter regarding Liberty Project Endangered Species Act Section 7 Consultation.

MMS approves the DPP in accordance with 30 CFR 250.280. BPXA must conduct all lease activities in compliance with the approved DPP.

BPXA submits Liberty Development and Production Plan to MMS. After studying a number of alternative development options, BPXA proposes to develop the Liberty Prospect by means of an onshore development using leading edge, ultra-extended reach drilling. This plan proposes drilling and producing up to six development wells from a planned expansion of the existing Endicott Satellite Drilling Island (SDI) to bottom-hole locations under OCS lease 1650.

MMS publishes Liberty Development and Production Plan Final Environmental Impact Statement (OCS EIS/EA MMS 2002-020). This Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) covers the proposed Beaufort Sea Oil and Gas Development/Liberty Development and Production Plan. This document includes the purpose and background of the proposed action, alternatives, description of the affected environment, and the estimated environmental effects of the proposed action and the alternatives. The alternative analysis evaluates five sets of component alternatives (island location and pipeline route, pipeline design, upper slope-protection system, gravel mine site, and pipeline burial depth) that focus on the different effects of modifying major project elements. The EIS also evaluates the range of alternatives that could be chosen by combining different options from the component alternatives. In addition to the mitigation MMS requires in the lease and those built into BPXA’s Proposal, the EIS evaluates two proposed mitigating measures and their potential effects. The EIS also evaluates potential cumulative effects resulting from the BPXA Proposal and alternatives. The EIS also describes and analyzes the potential effects of the MMS’s Agency-Preferred Alternative and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Agency-Preferred Alternative.

BPXA publicly announces they are putting the Liberty Project on hold pending re-evaluation of project configuration and costs. MMS publishes and files the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Liberty DPP with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because MMS expects this final EIS will serve as a reference document for future projects.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NFMS) issues a biological opinion (BO) on the proposed Liberty project and its effects on the bowhead whale in accordance with section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Through informal consultation, NMFS agencies determined that bowhead whales are the only listed species for which NMFS bears responsibility that would be adversely affected by this work. No designated critical habitat occurs in the area that would be affected by the proposed Liberty project. After reviewing the relevant information available on the biology and ecology of bowhead whales in the action area and the direct and indirect effects of the proposed Liberty project, NMFS concludes that the proposed project is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the bowhead whale.

DPP Revision 2.

DPP Revision 1.

BPXA submits a pipeline Right-of-Way application.

BPXA submits a Development and Production Plan to MMS for the proposed Liberty Project.

Based on interpretation of geologic interpretation, seismic data, and well tests, BPXA confirms the discovery of an estimated 120 million barrels of recoverable reserves from the Liberty prospect.

Liberty #1 Exploration Well drilling operation demobilized.

BPXA submits a pipeline Right-of-Way application.

Drilling of the Liberty # 1 well begins, followed by well testing in March 1997.

BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. (BPXA) acquires OCS lease 1650 (OCS-Y-1650) in Minerals Management Service (MMS) OCS Lease Sale 144; and initiates permitting activity for the Liberty #1 Exploration Well.

• Lease Sale 144 lease stipulations

• Lease Sale 124 lease stipulations

Shell Oil Company drills four wells to evaluate the potential of marketable oil reserves at the Liberty Prospect. Three of the wells are drilled from Tern Island, which Shell constructed in 1981-1982. The fourth well is drilled from Goose Island, located southeast of Tern Island.