Hilcorp Alaska LLC
Cook Inlet, 2021
SUMMARY
In January 2021, BOEM received an application for a geohazards survey permit from Hilcorp, Alaska LLC. The proposed survey would be conducted over four leased blocks and the surrounding area, comprising a total of 138 square kilometers west to southwest of Homer. If approved, activities are expected to be conducted between Aug. 11 and Oct. 31, 2021. The prospective permit has been designated G&G Permit 21-01.
The proposed survey includes one survey vessel and one support vessel. The application specifies the use of a multibeam echosounder, magnetometer, sidescan sonar and sparker arrays. Hilcorp also proposes to collect core samples from below the seafloor.
Hilcorp’s permit application is largely identical to the one it submitted to BOEM in April 2020. BOEM approved that application May 1, 2020 and issued G&G Permit 20-01. Hilcorp, however, did not execute that survey. The new permit, if approved, would authorize essentially the same activities.
In addition to this application, Hilcorp has submitted to the Alaska Region an ancillary activities notice, stating that it also intends to survey areas in Cook Inlet that it currently holds under lease. Because such ancillary activities are already provided for under the lease terms, Hilcorp is not required to apply for a permit for those areas.
(To be clear: Hilcorp is proposing only one survey. The off-lease portion of the survey would, if approved, be covered by this permit application; the on-lease portion would be covered by Hilcorp's ancillary activities notice.)
CHRONOLOGY
| 2021 | |
| Oct 24 | Hilcorp completes G&G survey 21-01 |
| Sep 29 |
BOEM approves a request by Hilcorp Alaska LLC to modify the permit by extending the survey area south by approximately 522 meters in order to collect data over two additional lines above a COST well. This will help with the accuracy of the positioning of the overall survey. |
| Aug 11 |
BOEM’s Alaska OCS Region approves Hilcorp’s application to conduct a geohazards survey and issues G&G Permit 21-01. Hilcorp will conduct the survey between Aug. 11, 2021 and Oct. 31, 2021. |
| Mar 22 | The public comment period on the EA closes. |
| Mar 10 | BOEM announces that it will prepare an Environmental Assessment relating to Hilcorp’s proposed survey, and opens a public comment period. Comment period will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, March 22, 2021. To comment, go to regulations.gov. |
| Feb 17 | After an initial review, the application from Hilcorp is deemed complete. BOEM’s Alaska Region will consider this application in compliance with Secretarial Order 3395. |
| Jan 29 |
BOEM receives from Hilcorp Alaska, LLC, an application for a permit to conduct a geohazards survey in the federal waters of Cook Inlet. The survey area will cover both areas leased by Hilcorp, and non-leased areas as well. The permit, if approved, will apply to the off-lease areas. Hilcorp also submits an Ancillary Activities notice to cover the on-lease areas. (Permits are not required for areas already leased, because surveys are considered ancillary activities, which are already covered under the terms of the lease.). |