Narwhal unit delays first North Slope exploration well to 2027

Narwhal’s first West Harrison Bay test well moved back a year, a sign the western North Slope prospect is still being de-risked before anyone drills into the Nanushuk or, possibly, the deeper Torok. Working-interest owners Narwhal LLC and EE Partners Corp. now plan to drill at least one exploration well in early 2027, instead of 2026, after the Alaska Department of Natural Resources approved an amended plan of exploration on Dec. 29, 2025.

The delay matters because it points to more than a simple calendar change. The updated plan calls for permit work, rig evaluation, geological and geophysical studies, marine and shallow-hazard surveys, reprocessing 3D seismic data, and continued field planning and stakeholder engagement before drilling begins. That extra work suggests the company still wants a sharper read on geology, logistics and cost before it commits to a well in an area that has long been viewed as promising but unproven. If the first well hits, Narwhal says the program could continue into a 2027-2028 season and add more wells in 2028.

The unit itself covers about 77,848.60 acres of state land in Harrison Bay and lies on state submerged lands offshore the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Narwhal Exploration LLC, the Anchorage-based operator formed March 21, 2025, plans to rely on ice roads and ice pads and to plug and abandon wells after drilling. The ownership mix also shows how much is riding on the program: William Robinson, through Narwhal Exploration, holds a 25.25% interest; Robinson Family Industries II LP holds 25.65%; Aperture Group LLC holds 15.42%; and EE Partners is part of the working-interest structure.

Narwhal’s move into West Harrison Bay follows years of interest in the same area. Its June 2024 formation application said the unit was assembled from leases around former Shell Offshore holdings, and the most recent seismic acquisition noted in the filing materials was a 2006 ice-based 3D survey over much of the neighboring West Harrison Bay Unit leases. Industry reporting has described Narwhal’s plan as the first drilling in West Harrison Bay itself, which is why the outcome carries weight beyond one lease block. A successful Nanushuk test could strengthen the case for more western Arctic investment, especially with recent attention on that play from onshore projects such as ConocoPhillips’ Willow and Santos’ Pikka developments.

The regulatory path has also been long. Narwhal and EE Partners filed the formation application on June 25, 2024, and it was deemed complete a month later. The Alaska Division of Oil and Gas approved the Narwhal unit on Nov. 1, 2024. NOAA Fisheries then issued Narwhal an incidental harassment authorization on Aug. 12, 2025, covering bowhead whales, ringed seals, bearded seals and spotted seals in west Harrison Bay. A federal consultation document had said Narwhal planned to drill up to five exploration wells from late January through mid-April 2026, underscoring how much the program has slowed as the company refines its geologic case.