Conoco plans Kuparuk drilling annex pad

ConocoPhillips Alaska has applied to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build a drilling annex pad and access road to support continued development at the Kuparuk River unit.

The proposed support pad is close to the western edge of the Kuparuk River unit, near the 2L pad, and southwest of the Mustang Pad, according to a map included in the application.

The pad would require placement of 129,500 cubic yards of fill material on 16.5 acres of wetlands for construction of a pad and access road. The pad, 1,040 feet by 628 feet, would require 122,911 cubic yards of fill and would have space for three rig camps, vehicle parking, bullrails, a tanker truck loading area with fuel tank, bulk storage tanks, equipment staging and a safety station. The access road, 500 feet long and 35 feet wide, would require placement of 6,589 cubic yards of material in 1.27 acres of wetlands. The project map shows the access road coming off the existing Tarn Road southwest of the 2L pad.

The corps said there would be no new drill sites, cross country pipelines or overhead power lines. Electricity would be supplied to the camps from existing infrastructure and power cables would be buried. Existing Kuparuk road infrastructure would be used for access to the project site and material source.

If permits are received work would begin in April and be completed in August. The corps said no tundra disturbing activities would take place during the bird nesting season from June 1 through July 31.

The corps is taking comments on the proposal through Feb. 16.

- KRISTEN NELSON