Italian giant Eni has submitted its proposal to the Bureau of Ocean Management (BOEM) for a drilling program offshore Alaska, from the man-made island, Spy Island Drillsite (SID) in the Beaufort Sea. Eni’s proposed exploration plan (EP) is for the exploratory drilling of the company’s Nikaitchuq North Project, consisting of four exploration wells, two mainbores and two sidetracks from the Italian giant’s existing SID man-made gravel island, on the State of Alaska lease.

SID is about 3mi offshore of Oliktok Point, just south of the natural barrier island, Spy Island, in shallow water depths of 6-8ft. The proposed wildcats will begin from the surface of SID and extend subsurface of the ocean floor, ending in federal leases on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) of Alaska – Harrison Bay Block 6423 Unit (Leases OCS-Y-1753, OCS-Y-1754, and OCS-Y-1757). Exploration drilling activities proposed under this EP are scheduled to start at the end this year on 10 December, and continue into 2019. Eni anticipates using the Doyon Rig 15 for drilling operations.