Cook inlet revitalization: new opportunities for oilfield support services.

• Author: Cottrell, Paula
• Position: Special section: OIL & GAS

According to a study conducted by Petrotechnical Resources of Alaska in 2010, gas reserves in Cook Inlet are expected to be depleted by 2014 from existing wells. As the natural gas supply in Alaska dwindles, several companies have made commitments to actively explore and develop oil and gas reserves in Cook Inlet.

Many of these operations are smaller independent companies envisioning a bright future for gas development in Cook Inlet, where exploration is being revitalized.

"Most of the large oil and gas companies that used to drive oil and gas production in Cook Inlet have been replaced by independent companies that have the motivation and resources necessary to actively drill and explore in the Cook Inlet region," says Rick Wilson, business manager for Ocean Marine Services Inc.

METTING CHALLENGES

Most of the independent companies in Cook Inlet are operating with lower overhead and rely on contractors and support services to complete their exploration and development projects, Wilson says, and Ocean Marine Services Inc. is one such support company. OMSI is actually a family of companies: Ocean Marine Services Inc., Offshore Systems Inc., Offshore Systems Kenai, Aleutian Fuel Services and Nikiski Fuel Inc. This group of companies has been dedicated to providing terminal and marine services to oil and gas exploration and production companies throughout Alaska since 1982.

"Our companies have grown and developed over the years to provide solutions for many of the challenges oil companies face when working in Alaska, whether it is OCS (outer continental shelf) or Cook Inlet," Wilson says.

Offshore Systems Kenai began operations in 1986 as a response to the growing demand for support services for oil and gas production activities in Cook Inlet, however all sectors of maritime commerce benefit from the services provided at OSK. These services include stevedoring, light and heavy equipment, warehouse and office space, heliport and hangar, multiple outside staging and storing pads as well as diesel fuel and potable water while...