ConocoPhillips to test new ice road; goal is to get earlier North Slope construction start

Petroleum News Alaska Staff

ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc. has applied for a land use permit to conduct an ice road demonstration project on the Alpine ice road, which extends from Kuparuk drill site 2L, in section 22, township 10 north, range 7 east, Umiat Meridian, to the Colville River.

The project will test whether an ice road can be constructed earlier than the Department of Natural Resources typically allows without disturbing the tundra.

For the past 30 years, DNR’s Division of Mining, Land and Water said, DNR has allowed ice road construction on the North Slope to begin when the snow is six inches deep and the ground is hard frozen to a depth of 12 inches.

ConocoPhillips Alaska proposes to test a different method to determine when the ground is hard enough to begin ice road construction.

Instead of measuring the depth of hard frozen ground, the division said, ConocoPhillips proposes to measure the load-bearing capacity of the frozen tundra and start ice road construction when a plate indentation test indicates that the tundra can support more than 150 pounds per square inch ground loading.

The division said ConocoPhillips would construct a one to two mile long ice road based on the indentation test. The remainder of the ice road to Alpine would be constructed after DNR determines that that ground is hard frozen to a depth of 12 inches.

The following summer the two ice road sections will be compared to determine if the earlier construction resulted in increased disturbance to tundra resources.

The division said the project requires a consistency determination because it is within Alaska’s coastal zone. Written comments must be received by Oct. 23 at: Division of Mining, Land and Water, 3700 Airport Way, Fairbanks AK 99709.