Point Thomson Nears Final Permitting Steps

Exxon’s Point Thomson gas and oil project is being prepared for the final step toward getting approval from the federal government.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Friday released its environmental impact study on the project that Exxon says has cost the company a Billion dollars in investment so far.  The study is the result of three years of review.

Project Manager Lee Bruce told the legislature’s Gas Caucus today that Pt. Thomson will have the pipe capacity to send 70-thousand barrels of oil per day through the TransAlaska Pipeline,  however, the first phase will only ship 10-thousand barrels.

My project is to cycle gas out of the reservoir, strip out the liquids, send the liquids by pipeline to Bedami and eventually into TAPS.  And we’re re-injecting the gas back into the ground. That’s what this first phase of this Point Thomson development is all about.

Bruce said the E-I-S is essential to the project’s advancement – but there are other permits on the way.

All our major state and North Slope Borough permits  have been submitted, and we’re well on our way on getting the state permits in hand.  In fact the air permit is on public comment right now and should be coming off in the next weeks.  Also the North Slope Borough has approved our master plan and a rezoning ordinance.  That was an item very important for us.  So from a local standpoint and from the state’s standpoint, we’re getting great support in the permitting area.

He said Pt. Thomson is key to gas development on the North Slope with twenty five percent of the known resources that could go to market.

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