Corps issues Willow gravel work permit

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

ConocoPhillips Alaska has received a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for gravel work at Willow.

The final environmental impact statement for the project was released by the federal Bureau of Land Management Aug. 14, followed by a record of decision on the final EIS on Oct. 26.

The Corps permit, dated Dec. 18, is for the discharge of clean fill and associated work in waters of the U.S. for construction of the Willow master development project at portions of the Bear Tooth and Greater Mooses Tooth units in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The permit expires Dec. 31, 2025.

The company said in July that it expected a final investment decision on Willow this year and first oil in 2025-26.

ConocoPhillips Alaska spokeswoman Natalie Lowman told Petroleum News by email in October after the Willow ROD was released that it allowed the company to move forward with project planning.

“A decision on moving into FEED (Front End Engineering and Design) will be made later this year, but project construction could begin in 2021 subject to receiving regulatory approvals,” she said.

In the company’s Oct. 29 third quarter earnings conference call, Matt Fox, ConocoPhillips executive vice president and COO, said the company is moving forward with the Willow project, but that “assumes taxes will not increase,” referring to Ballot Measure 1 on Alaska’s November general election ballot. “If it passes, we might want to reconsider the timing,” he said.

That ballot measure was defeated.

- KRISTEN NELSON