Building ice road over Trouble Creek

Kay Cashman

Petroleum News

On Feb. 11 the Alaska Department of Natural Resources' Division of Oil and Gas issued a public notice for a land use permit applied for on Feb. 6 by Nabors Alaska Drilling Inc. requesting to build an ice road over Trouble Creek to bypass the bridge during a rig move.

Trouble Creek is approximately 12 miles southwest of the Kuparuk Airstrip.

Nabors proposes to build a 1,500-foot ice road over Trouble Creek on the North Slope adjacent to the Spine Road to safely transport Nabors Rig 245 across the creek.

The bridge over Trouble Creek is currently not strong enough to support the rig.

The ice road would start from the Spine Road near DS-2M Pad and end at the Spine Road junction to Mustang Pad and Pikka Unit.

The purpose of the project is to move the Nabors Rig 245 from 12-Acre Pad near Oliktok Point to the Cama'i Pad west of the Kuparuk River Unit.

Construction is proposed to begin March 1, 2026.

The proposed project will be adjudicated under AS 38.05 and 11 AAC 96.030. The division is providing public notice and an opportunity to comment.

The application package is available for review at the Division of Oil and Gas' Permitting Section, 550 West 7th Ave., Suite 1100, Anchorage, AK 99501, or online at http://dog.dnr.alaska.gov/Newsroom.

Send comments to [email protected] or to the division address above. All comments must be in writing.

A copy of the final decision will be sent to any person who provides written comments.

An eligible person affected by this decision may appeal or request the commissioner's reconsideration in accordance with 11 AAC 02.

All comments must be received by the comment deadline: 4:30 pm, Alaska Standard Time, Feb. 25, 2026.

--KAY CASHMAN