Technical Summary for BOEM 2024-035 

Study Title Retrospective Synthesis of Historical Alaska OCS Oil and Gas Activities 

Report Title Alaska OCS Oil and Gas Activities: Historical Data Compilation and Synthesis 

Report Number(s) (OCS 

Study) BOEM 2024-035 

Completion Date of Report August 2024 

Number of Pages 379 

Award Number(s) 140M0122P0027 

Sponsoring OCS Region or 

Office Alaska OCS Region 

Applicable Planning Area(s) 

Aleutian Arc, Aleutian Basin, Beaufort Sea, Bowers Basin, Chukchi Sea, Cook 

Inlet, St. George Basin, Gulf of Alaska, Hope Basin, Kodiak, St. Matthew-Hall, 

North Aleutian Basin, Navarin Basin, Norton Basin, Shumagin 

Fiscal Year(s) of Study 

Funding FY2023 

Costs by Fiscal Year FY 2023: $119,973.33; FY 2024: $179,960.00 

Cumulative Project Cost $299,933.33 

Project Manager(s) Bill Craig and Courtney M. Brozovsky 

Affiliation of Project 

Manager(s) AECOM Technical Services, Inc. 

Address of Project 

Manager(s) 

3900 C Street, Suite 400 

Anchorage, AK 99503 

Principal Investigator(s) Courtney M. Brozovsky, Jessica Evans, Tara E. Bellion 

Keywords offshore; oil; gas; outer continental shelf; history; exploration and development 

scenario; Alaska 

ABSTRACT: Prior to August 2024, there were no reports that synthesize recorded oil and gas activities 

in the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This study reviewed recorded oil and gas activities from 

publicly available information, compiled that information into a geographic information system (GIS) 

database, and exported the results into a synthesis report. This study also summarized Exploration and 

Development (E&D) scenarios and compared the scenario activities with recorded activities. 

Recommendations are provided for future E&D scenarios, data gathering, and data maintenance. 

BACKGROUND: The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (1953), as amended, established a policy for 

the management of energy and mineral resources on the OCS and for the protection of the marine and 

coastal environments. The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

(BOEM), uses information on historical Alaska OCS activities and their associated impact-producing 

factors to evaluate potential impacts that may be associated with Alaska OCS oil and gas exploration, 

development, and production activities as estimated from E&D scenarios in final environmental impact 

statements (EISs) for lease sales. Prior to this study, the Retrospective Synthesis of Historical Alaska 

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OCS Oil and Gas Activities, historical Alaska OCS lease sales, and their resulting activities were not 

compiled and synthesized in a readily available format.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined, compiled, and synthesized publicly available information about 

historical Alaska OCS continental offshore stratigraphic test (COST) wells, leasing, and subsequent 

exploration, development and production, and transportation activities and associated parameters between 

1975 and October 2023 into a synthesized report. This study evaluated data attributes useful for 

describing activities, and compiled readily available data attributes, not already in digital format, into a 

database. Specific objectives included: 

• Quantifying historical Alaska OCS activity information and relevant parameters for comparison to 

E&D scenarios by subregion, planning area, and lease sale.

• Evaluating the availability of temporal and spatial information for historical Alaska OCS activities 

and establish a dataset of additional attributes to inform identification of relevant spatial and 

temporal impact producing factors for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) assessments.

• Developing a detailed written synthesis of Alaska OCS leasing and historical OCS oil and gas 

exploration and development activity to inform BOEM decisions and capture and curate institutional 

knowledge for NEPA assessment.

METHODS: Phases of the study included reviewing publicly available documents and files for oil and 

gas activities in the Alaska OCS and creating a geodatabase of activities, compiling applicable documents 

and files into a bibliography, and importing attribution from references identified in the bibliography into 

a GIS, then producing a synthesis report which quantified Alaska OCS oil and gas activities documented 

in the GIS, and compared actual activities against estimated outcomes for Alaska OCS lease sales in E&D 

scenarios. Data compiled during the existing data and information acquisition summary and bibliography 

phases of the study were reviewed in detail, synthesized into a GIS data schema developed for the project 

based on available information and typical elements in an E&D scenario, and then exported from the GIS 

into an organized format for use in the synthesis report for quantification and comparison against 

summarized E&D scenarios. Results of the data export are displayed in the report in figures and tables. 

Additionally, E&D scenarios developed for each lease sale EIS in the study area were summarized. Each 

E&D scenario was then compared against the results of the activity data exports, and a comparison table 

was created. 

RESULTS: Overall, there were 2,446 leases sold in 27 lease sales, with 21 currently active leases. A total 

of 12.9 million acres were leased. Survey types included geohazard, geophysical, geotechnical, sonobuoy 

seismic, pipeline route, sound source, and ice sensor. Geohazard and geotechnical surveys included twodimensional seismic, high-resolution data, interpretations, aerogravity and magnetics, three-dimensional 

seismic, and three-dimensional amplitude. A total of 109 wells were drilled, including COST/deep 

stratigraphic test wells, exploration and development wells, and a disposal well. There were 21 

facilities/shorebases documented under 9 lease sales. Activity types included construction and 

maintenance, facilities, pipelines, platforms, surveys, training activities, transportation routes, 

transportation sites, and well drilling.

CONCLUSIONS: When comparing the E&D scenarios with recorded activities, a key trend throughout 

the study was that generally, the E&D scenarios estimated a much larger set of resulting activities than 

what occurred. Specifically, the E&D scenarios estimated more exploration and delineation wells; the 

recorded number of exploration and delineation wells was generally much lower than anticipated. The 

E&D scenarios also estimated more development and production wells, as well as pipelines. The 
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exception was the Northstar development under Lease Sale BF, which did move from exploration 

activities to production. However, the assumptions for numbers of exploration and production wells were 

still over-assumed. Pipeline miles deviated from the general trend of overestimating and were underassumed in this scenario.

STUDY PRODUCT(S):

1. EndNote bibliographic database file: Endnote file of bibliography.

2. GIS geodatabase: Brozovsky C (AECOM, Anchorage, AK). 2024. Alaska OCS retrosynthesis 

geodatabase. Anchorage (AK): U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean and Energy 

Management. Contract No.: 140M0122P0027.

3. GIS documentation: Brozovsky C (AECOM, Anchorage, AK). 2024. GIS database manual 

for a BOEM retrospective synthesis of historical Alaska OCS oil and gas activities. Anchorage 

(AK): U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management. 63 p. 

Contract No.: 140M0122P0027.

4. BOEM study report (including Bibliography): Brozovsky CM, Evans J, Bellion TE 

(AECOM, Anchorage, AK). 2024. Alaska OCS oil and gas activities: Historical data 

compilation and synthesis. Anchorage (AK): U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean 

Energy Management. 379 p. Report No.: OCS Study BOEM 2024-035. Contract No.: 

140M0122P0027. 

MAP OF STUDY AREA: