Northstar drilling - Delivering the first arctic offshore development

Northstar is the first arctic offshore development that is not accessible by road for most of the year and does not have fixed-wing air support. The implications of limited access to a 400x400-ft island are enormous. Successful completion of the first drilling season at Northstar is a significant milestone marked by detailed design and execution as well as pure determination. Many of the challenges were anticipated and accounted for, while many others were not. These challenges included environmental hurdles, logistical constraints, and commissioning the rig and the grind and inject (G&I) facility on an accelerated schedule. The first arctic offshore development delivered its first barrels of oil as per schedule on 2 November 2001. Now comes the next challenge-drilling to improve the profitability of this unique Alaskan project.