Driving along Bridge Access Road this past week may have been a little bit different as Cook Inlet Natural Gas Storage Alaska (or CINGSA) has a Hillcorp drill rig at the well pad that’s noticeable from K-Beach Road. At night, the drill rig illuminates a pitch-black Bridge Access Road.
Lindsay Hobson, Director of Corporate Resources and Communications for ENSTAR Natural Gas Company tells KSRM:
“So, what we’re doing right now at the well pad for CINGSA is we are, so CINGSA is comprised of, there’s five wells out there, and we are working on well number 5 to install a velocity string. Basically, that well has a bit of a history of accumulating water. This work is to really help reduce the water that is coming into the well over there. We do have a drill rig on site, and we expect it to be here throughout the rest of the week. We are working on installing that velocity string now. Folks traveling along the road there will notice a very large drill rig there on the CINGSA well pad, but we really want to encourage drivers to keep moving and to not cause congestion and just to give them a heads up what’s going on.”
CINGSA is Alaska’s first commercial natural gas storage facility, which was constructed to address Southcentral Alaska’s peak winter demand for natural gas delivery. It began service in 2012. CINGSA provides a means to store gas during the summer months when available supply exceeds demand. It is then available for withdrawal during the winter months to supplement the deliverability of available gas supply. CINGSA provides service to local utilities who, in turn, serve the greater Cook Inlet area.
ENSTAR Natural Gas Company advises residents of the Kenai Peninsula to not enter the site as it is an active construction zone.