MILAN, Italy, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Italian energy company Eni announced that it started production at an oil field in the North Slope of Alaska in shallow waters.
Eni said it started producing oil at the Nikaitchuq field. The field marks the first arctic project for the Italian energy company and holds an estimated 220 million barrels of oil.
Full development, the energy company said in a statement, comes from 22 onshore and 30 offshore wells. Average water depth for the offshore section is about 10 feet and the company said facilities tied to the field are designed to minimize the impact on the environment.
Oil processed from the Nikaitchuq field will be shipped through the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline without need for further processing, the company said.
"The offshore facilities are connected to the onshore facilities by a under seabed pipeline bundle, which is the heaviest bundle ever installed in the arctic," the company added.
The field is expected to produce oil for 30 years. Peak production capacity is estimated at 28,000 barrels of oil per day.
