State moves to grant Alyeska gravel contract in Sagavanirktok floodplain, with 12-day comment window

A 12-day public comment window opens Tuesday for a state land contract that would allow Alyeska Pipeline Service Company to extract material from the Sagavanirktok River floodplain near Dalton Highway Milepost 374.

The State Pipeline Coordinator's Section intends to issue a material sale contract to Alyeska for work within the floodplain, 42 miles south of Pump Station 1 near Deadhorse. The notice window runs from July 14 to July 26, giving interested parties 12 days to respond.

The Contract

The contract, designated ADL 422900, covers land within Sections 22, 23, and 26 near Dalton Highway Milepost 374. The State Pipeline Coordinator's Section administers TAPS right-of-way leases and issues land-use authorizations for pipeline integrity and maintenance work on state lands. The notice does not specify the volume or type of material to be extracted, nor the specific maintenance purpose.

The Corridor

The Sagavanirktok River corridor has been a recurring concern for both pipeline integrity and road stability. The river runs alongside the Dalton Highway and TAPS for much of the North Slope, and flooding and ice-jam events have historically damaged both. Pump Station 1, the starting point of the 800-mile Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, sits near the floodplain where the contract site is located.

Senator Bill Wielechowski raised the subject of gravel material sales to Alyeska during a May 1, 2026 Senate Resources Committee hearing, asking: "I, I note in the letter that we received from the commissioner that there are gravel material sales with Alyeska Pipeline Services Company for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. What is the charge to Alyeska Pipeline Services Company for gravel material sales?"

The 12-day window runs concurrently with Great Bear Pantheon's oil discharge contingency plan renewal application for North Slope exploration drilling. Anyone wishing to comment on the Alyeska contract should contact the State Pipeline Coordinator's Section through the Alaska Department of Natural Resources before July 26.