As of 7 April 2019, Oil Search has completed testing at a total depth of 8,599 ft (2,621 m) on the Pikka B ST1 appraisal well located in state lease ADL 393028 within the southern part of the Pikka Unit. According to a company release the well encountered three Nanushuk Formation sands. A 299 ft (91 m) conventional core was recovered in the Nanushuk Formation. The company said early indications show the core was saturated with oil as in the original hole. The well flowed 2,410 bo/d at a restricted rate due to limitations of the testing equipment. The wellhead pressure was reported at 240 psi. According to the operator based on a final two hour test the well is calculated to flow at a rate of 3,800 bo/d with a flowing pressure of 50 psi at the wellhead.   Oil Search spud the well on 23 January 2019 using the Doyon Arctic Fox drilling rig. The objective of the well is to determine the potential resource volumes in the field this far south of the discovery and to test development conception.  The well is targeting oil pay in the Cretaceous Brookian Nanushuk sandstone in what the company calls the âNanushuk Fairwayâ. Acquisition of a conventional core is planned along with a full suite of LWD and/or wireline logs, including fluid sampling where appropriate. A production test is planned for the Pikka B ST1 deviated sidetrack.  The Pikka Unit was formed in June 2015 as a result of exploration drilling of 16 wells over the period from 2012 through 2015 in an area between Kuparuk River and Alpine fields. The original unit was comprised of 63,304 ac (256.2 sq km). Those wells discovered oil in the Nanushuk formation across a 25,000 ac (101 sq km) area at a depth of about 4,100 ft (1,249.7 m). Repsol has since sold a controlling interest in the Pikka Unit acreage to Armstrong Energy LLC which sold its controlling interest to Oil Search who now operates the unit.
Pikka B ST1 appraisal (Oil Search 38,25% op, Repsol 49%, GMT Exploration 12,75%) in state lease ADL 393028 within the southern part of the Pikka Unit, encountered 3 Nanushuk Fm sands (91 m conventional core was recovered). The well flowed 2 410 bo/d at a restricted rate due to limitations of the testing equipment.