Developments in Alaska in 1951

Abstract

Interest in the petroleum possibilities of Alaska has been increasing since 1944, when the United States Navy began its current exploration program in and near Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4. Other areas that were investigated in 1951 are the Iniskin Peninsula-Tuxedni Bay area in the Alaska Peninsula-Cook Inlet Mesozoic province, and the Yakataga and Katalla districts in the Gulf of Alaska Tertiary province. No petroleum for commercial use was produced in Alaska in 1951, but a small amount of gas was produced from the Barrow gas field for use by the United States Navy base at Point Barrow. Four geologic parties of the United States Geological Survey and one seismic party of the United Geophysical Company, Inc., were in the field in northern Alaska in 1951. In addition a total of 47,864 feet was drilled in 19 core holes and test wells. Topagoruk test well No. 1 was drilled to the depth of 10,503 feet and bottomed in Lower or Middle Devonian beds. All other test wells or core holes were drilled in Cretaceous rocks except Avak test well No. 1, which drilled into pre-Cretaceous rocks of undetermined age. Further drilling in the Umiat oil field has proved the presence of a sizable oil field. Estimates of recoverable oil range from 30,000,000 to 100,000,000 barrels. Three of the wells drilled in 1951 indicated large quantities of gas in the Umiat and Gubik anticlines. Two geo ogic reports on northern Alaska were published in 1951. The Geological Survey and the General Petroleum Corporation worked in the Katalla-Yakataga area. Preliminary reports on this area were completed by the Geological Survey in 1951 and placed in files available to the public. Applications for land leases in this area have been filed with the Department of the Interior. A Geological Survey party spent about 3 months in the Iniskin Peninsula-Tuxedni Bay area studying the stratigraphy and structure of the Jurassic sediments as well as some of the igneous rocks.