Hilcorp seeks state approval for 64-acre gravel mine near Deadhorse; comment closes Sept. 28

Hilcorp Alaska has applied to open a new 64-acre gravel mine seven miles northwest of Deadhorse, and the state is taking written comment on it until 4:30 p.m. Sept. 28.

In its application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the same project, Hilcorp said a new source is necessary for continued oil and gas development because current gravel sources are being depleted throughout the North Slope.

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Oil and Gas received the Unit Plan of Operations application on Aug. 14 and posted it for public notice on Aug. 28. The mine site, called Put 29, would cover about 64 acres of gravel extraction plus 27 acres for overburden and thermal berms, mounds of stripped material that would be removed at closure. A gravel access road roughly 1,000 feet long and 36 feet wide would run off the existing road to Drillsite 15. Road construction is planned for October 2026. Mine site construction would follow in early 2027. All material for the road would be sourced from the existing Put 23 site. Hilcorp estimates Put 29 holds about 5 million cubic yards of usable gravel.

The Army Corps notice put the footprint in wetland terms: "In total, approximately 95 acres of tundra wetlands would be impacted to construct the Put 29 Access Road, Mine Site, and overburden areas." Hilcorp has told regulators that 30 of those acres would be temporary, with the road and overburden berms removed at mine closure, and that compensatory mitigation, work to offset wetland losses, is not appropriate given the North Slope's short growing season.

The wetlands decision is not the one now open. The Corps comment period closed Aug. 18, and a state water quality certification review closed Sept. 4. The state notice makes no environmental findings and names no affected community. It states the project will be adjudicated under AS 38.05 and 11 AAC 83.346, which requires a plan of operations to set out rehabilitation plans and procedures to prevent or minimize adverse effects on fish and wildlife habitats, historic and archeological sites and public use areas.

Comments must be in writing, to [email protected] or the Division's Permitting Section in Anchorage. Anyone who comments gets a copy of the final decision, and may appeal or seek the commissioner's reconsideration.