Two ConocoPhillips gravel expansions at Kuparuk open for public comment

Two ConocoPhillips Alaska gravel expansion proposals in the Kuparuk River Unit are open for public comment, with deadlines of July 26 and July 31.

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Oil and Gas posted the notices through its online public notice system at dog.dnr.alaska.gov/Newsroom and through the state's Online Public Notices portal.

CPF2 Facility Expansion

The first project, at the CPF2 central processing facility roughly 15 miles south of Oliktok Point, would place approximately 10,300 cubic yards of gravel to widen an east-side roadway and prepare the site for future seawater transport infrastructure. About 0.7 acres of tundra would be disturbed. Work is scheduled to begin August 1, 2026. Written comments are due by 4:30 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time on July 26.

12-Acre Pad Expansion

The second project would expand the existing 12-Acre Pad, located 1.7 miles southeast of Oliktok Point, by 1.1 acres using 11,490 cubic yards of gravel to the southeast corner of the existing pad footprint. ConocoPhillips says no work will occur off the existing gravel footprint. Comments are due by 4:30 p.m. Alaska Standard Time on July 31.

Both projects are being adjudicated under AS 38.05 and 11 AAC 83.346. Anyone who submits written comments before the respective deadlines is entitled to receive the final decision.

The expansions sit inside a broader pattern of gravel infrastructure growth on the North Slope. North Slope Borough forums have stressed the need to fully evaluate environmental, social, and economic impacts from different land uses, including oil and gas development. Conservation and tribal groups have argued in prior litigation that gravel mining and road building cause lasting harm to tundra ecosystems and subsistence resources.

How to Comment

Application packages are available online through the Division of Oil and Gas Newsroom at dog.dnr.alaska.gov/Newsroom and in person at 550 West 7th Avenue, Suite 1100, Anchorage. Written comments go to [email protected] or the same address.