As a part of an international partnership, DOE completed its long-term gas hydrates production testing at the Prudhoe Bay Unit on the Alaska North Slope.
Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management
August 13, 2024
minute read time
On July 30, 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), as a part of an international partnership, completed its long-term gas hydrates production testing at the Prudhoe Bay Unit on the Alaska North Slope. This is a critical milestone in DOE’s Alaska gas hydrates research and development project as the data sheds light on the resource potential and environmental impacts of gas hydrates in the region.
Gas hydrates are naturally occurring combinations of natural gas (mostly methane) and water that form in cold temperatures and high pressures. Gas hydrates, a potential future energy resource, are known to occur in abundance on the Alaska North Slope, as well as in the shallow sediments of deepwater continental margins around the world—including the Gulf of Mexico and off the southeastern coast of Japan.
DOE’s long-term scientific production testing of gas hydrate-bearing sands on the Alaska North Slope was conducted in partnership with the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security; Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; the U.S. Geological Survey; and ASRC Energy Services, a subsidiary of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation. The testing was conducted through a drilling agreement executed between ASRC Energy Services and Hilcorp Alaska—on behalf of the Prudhoe Bay Working Interest Owners (Hilcorp North Slope, ExxonMobil Alaska, ConocoPhillips Alaska, Chevron USA)—and approved by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.
Test site on the Alaska North Slope during production testing (July 2024)
Gas production testing started on September 19, 2023, and was completed on July 30, 2024. The data and information collected throughout this testing will help DOE understand gas hydrates’ long-term production behavior and establish a methodology for Japan’s future commercial production of gas hydrates.
Visit NETL’s website to read more about the initial production test well. For more information about DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) visit FECM’s website and sign up to receive future FECM news alerts.