New KCS pad entrance reduces risk

Kay Cashman

Petroleum News

On Sept. 23, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Oil and Gas posted its approval of ConocoPhillips Alaska’s plan of operations amendment for construction of the Kuparuk River unit KCS pad’s north entrance.

On Aug. 31, the company requested authorization to add gravel to tundra to build a second road entrance to the Kuparuk Construction Services, or KCS, pad, adding an entrance from the road aligned with the chemical storage Tanker Truck Loading Area, or TTLA.

The large tanker trucks coming into the TTLA currently must make a very tight S turn, creating the potential for accidents. The new entrance will provide straight access from the road to the TTLA, reducing risk and increasing operability, Kate Dodson, environmental coordinator at ConocoPhillips Alaska, said in the application.

The project, which is scheduled to begin Sept. 30 or as soon as all permits are received, involves placing approximately 700 cubic yards of gravel between the Oliktok road and the KCS pad over 0.09 acres of tundra. The gravel will come from an approved mine site in the area.

A steel culvert will also be installed to prevent man-made ponding.

The new entrance will be “approximately 35 feet wide across the crown and will have 2:1 side slopes,” Dodson said in the application.

The steel culvert will measure 24 inches in diameter and be approximately 49 feet long. The culvert will be placed within the road prism; no dredging is involved.

ConocoPhillips will use typical construction equipment for the project, including a dozer, grader, backhoe, dump truck, semi-truck and trailer, pickup truck, compactor, and loader.

Dodson said the project is expected to be completed by Dec. 31.

The approval is effective immediately and expires on Sept. 23, 2023.

If no appeal is filed within 20 calendar days of the approval, the decision becomes a final administrative order and decision of the department on the 31st calendar day after issuance.

The approval was signed by James Hyun, natural resource specialist at the division.

- KAY CASHMAN