State approves Kuparuk pad expansion

The state has approved a plan to build a “drilling annex pad” at the Kuparuk River unit.

The April 25 decision will allow operator ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc. to move forward on its plans to build a 16.5-acre pad southwest of Drill Site 2L at the North Slope unit.

The proposed gravel pad and access road are associated with the ongoing Drill Site 2S development program and would provide “space for three rig camps, vehicle parking and bullrails, a tanker truck loading area, storage tanks, equipment staging, and a safety station,” according to the Department of Natural Resources. “Existing infrastructure would be used to support the project for access, egress, and power supply. No new drill sites, cross-country pipelines, or overhead power lines are proposed as part of this project.” Construction would occur over the next year, according to a company timeline.

The pad would require approximately 129,500 cubic yards of gravel from Mine Site C.

- ERIC LIDJI