ConocoPhillips seeks North Slope road upgrades for Willow haul

ConocoPhillips Alaska filed an amended application Friday to upgrade a North Slope gravel road specifically to haul heavy modules for its Willow oil development. The changes expand the project footprint and reset the public comment deadline to June 30.

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources received the amended Meltwater Unit easement renewal application May 29. The filing seeks a 20-year renewal of an existing private road and pipeline easement in the Meltwater satellite development area of the Kuparuk River Unit, about 10 miles east of the Colville River. ConocoPhillips wants to add 13,500 cubic yards of gravel to the existing road and replace 11 culverts to support transport of Willow Central modules. The upgrades will expand the easement footprint by 1.6 acres, bringing total coverage to roughly 133 acres.

The amended version replaces an earlier filing from March 27 that first proposed the easement renewal. The project includes placing gravel below the ordinary high-water mark at four waterbodies. The application will be adjudicated under AS 38.05.

The Division of Oil and Gas is accepting written comments until 4:30 p.m. June 30. Application materials are available for review at the Division of Oil and Gas Permitting Section at 550 West 7th Avenue, Suite 1100, Anchorage, and online at the Division of Oil and Gas Newsroom. Written comments can be sent to [email protected] or delivered to the Division's Anchorage office.