Alaska State Office
| Contacts: | Wayne Svejnoha 907-271-3807 | |||
| Danielle Allen 907-271-3335 |
BLM Atigaru Legacy Well Undergoing Remediation
The Bureau of Land Management has launched efforts to plug and remediate the Atigaru well, the third BLM legacy well on the North Slope threatened by erosion.
Atigaru Point Well #1, a BLM legacy well on a peninsula in Harrison Bay, near the Beaufort Sea, has been seriously compromised by erosion from the sea and melting permafrost. A contract was awarded to Marsh Creek LLC, a Native-owned company from Anchorage and Kaktovik to plug the well. In September 2008, the BLM secured emergency funds and an additional contract was awarded to Marsh Creek in February 2009 to excavate, transport and dispose of the reserve pit.
The Atigaru well site has become an island due to erosion and permafrost degradation causing portions of the peninsula to sink or subside. The low-lying areas are at risk, and a major summer storm could potentially release petroleum contaminated drilling mud and diesel fuel into the Beaufort Sea. Excavated drilling mud will be transported to the North Kalikpik drill site for closure of the reserve pit.
“Cleanup of the legacy wells is a priority and the emergency funds allow us to be on schedule with the cleanup of our legacy well in Alaska,” says Alaska State Director Tom Lonnie.
The Atiguru project began February 27 and the demobilization of the project camp should commence around April 13, 2009.
The BLM manages 136 wells and core holes termed “legacy wells” which were drilled by the U.S. Navy (1944-1953) and the U.S. Geological Survey (1975-1982) during an early exploration program in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The BLM has assessed the condition of these wells and determined that 41 wells could pose a potential risk to the environment. Since 2002, 13 of these 41 wells have been plugged by the BLM. With continued support and funding over the next five to six years, an additional 13 wells will be remediated.
Recent remediation efforts by BLM include the plugging and excavation and disposal of the reserve pit contents of the J.W. Dalton legacy well in 2005 and the East Teshekpuk legacy well in 2008.
The BLM manages 256 million acres – more land than any other federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Alaska State Office 222 W. 7th Avenue #13, Anchorage AK 99513-7504