Public Hearing: Hilcorp's Liberty Oilfield

As the Liberty Unit Operator, Hilcorp Alaska, LLC is currently pursuing all of the necessary permits and authorizations to develop the Liberty Reservoir. The first major step in this process is the approval of the Development & Production Plan (DPP). Hilcorp recently filed its plan with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and it is now open for public comment. Please consider writing letters in support of Hilcorp’s efforts to develop Liberty.

There are currently two opportunities to offer comments on Hilcorp’s plan:
LIBERTY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION PLAN Revision 1
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=BOEM-2015-0096
*DPP Comments must be received by 11:59pm Eastern Time on November 17, 2015.

PREPARATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS) FOR LIBERTY DPP
https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/09/25/2015-24391/outer-continental-shelf-alaska-region-beaufort-sea-planning-area-liberty-development-and-production
*EIS Scoping Comments must be received by 11:59pm Eastern Time on November 24, 2015.

Supporting the EIS process…
Responsible development in the Beaufort Sea has been heavily studied and achieved in recent years. It’s important for regulators to take note that Hilcorp’s Liberty DPP incorporates existing and recently compiled data as well as lessons learned from the initial EIS drafted in 1999 in response to BP’s submission. The key components of Hilcorp’s newly submitted plan for Liberty are based on the very same concepts approved in the prior EIS. Those areas include but are not limited to:

• proposed island location
• gravel island construction
• method of construction
• on-island drilling and processing facilities
• pipeline route to shore

WHY SHOULD ALASKANS SUPPORT THE LIBERTY DPP?
Based on proven technology currently being employed in the Arctic…
Hilcorp will utilize the construction and operational technology perfected at Alaska’s other offshore facilities. It’s proven to be a safe and effective means for oil & gas development in the Arctic.

Artificial islands in the Alaska Beaufort Sea date back to the mid-1970s. In the last 40 years, eighteen (18) islands have been responsibly constructed for exploration and development of oil and gas off the coast of Alaska. Like Liberty, the majority of the artificial islands were constructed in shallow water depths less than 20 feet.

Alaska has a 30-year record of safely operating offshore in the Arctic. Endicott, the first offshore development on the North Slope, has been in operation for almost three decades, and now there are three other offshore fields in production: Northstar (2001), Oooguruk (2008) and Nikaitchuq (2011).

Economic Benefit…
As the first Outer Continental Shelf oil project in the U.S. Arctic, Liberty will provide important tax and economic benefits to the federal government, State of Alaska and North Slope Borough. It will generate construction jobs – primarily for Alaskans – and good-paying permanent jobs. It will create business opportunities for many Alaska businesses.

More oil in TAPS…
The Liberty oilfield contains one of the largest potential sources of new light oil production on the North Slope, with an estimated 80-130 million barrels of recoverable oil.

Development of Liberty will help offset declining light oil production on the North Slope and contribute to increasing the life span and efficiency of TAPS.
New oil is needed to keep the pipeline operating efficiently now that throughput is less than 25 percent of capacity. An additional 60,000-70,000 BOPD from Liberty will be an important addition to keeping the pipeline operational.

Hilcorp’s Liberty DPP can be viewed at: http://www.boem.gov/Hilcorp-Liberty/
Project Information Website: www.libertyprojectak.com

Download Talking Points in PDF