Keeping Secrets In Alaska? -- July 27, 2015

From SeekingAlpha:

• Prudhoe Bay field owners BP and ExxonMobil have asked Alaska regulators to approve plans to increase the volume of natural gas allowed to be produced and sold from the North Slope field
• The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has limited gas offtake at 2.7B cf/day of gas since 1977, but the two companies are asking to increase the rate to 4.1B cf/day to supply a planned Alaska gas pipeline and liquefied natural gas export project; a separate application for gas offtake from the Point Thomson gas field, which also would supply the LNG Project, is expected later.
• ~8B cf/day of gas is now produced - along with oil - at Prudhoe, but most is injected back underground to maintain pressure in the reservoir to aid oil production; the concern is that if ~50% of the produced gas is shipped to markets via pipeline, there would be less gas injected and less support for pressure in the reservoir, resulting in lower oil output.
• BP is the Prudhoe Bay field operator and a major stakeholder along with XOM
• ConocoPhillips, also a major stakeholder, was not included in the application and says it was not aware that the other two companies would do so.

But that other data point: isn't that interesting about maintaining pressure in the reservoir; at risk of decreased oil production.