HIGHLIGHTS: CONOCOPHILLIPS SEES 2,500 EMPLOYED AT WILLOW NEXT TWO YEARS; NEW MANAGEMENT RULE ON NPR-A LANDS NO IMMEDIATE EFFECT BUT IT COULD AFFECT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. REQUIRED BLM CONSULTATION WITH TRIBES ON NEW RULES LACKING TO DATE. MODERATOR: KARA MORIARTY, Alaska Oil & Gas Association PANEL: n MAYOR JOSIAH PATKOTAK, North Slope Borough n NAGRUK HARCHAREK, Voice of the Inupiat Arctic n JOHN HELLEN, VP, Santos Ltd. n CHRIS WROBEL, Supervisor, Environmental Permitting, ConocoPhillips DISCUSSION: Josiah Patkotak: RDC’s commitment to responsible development aligns with our principles. I’ve always believed that the Inupiat were the original environmentalists. We understand the balance between progress and preservation. John Hellen: I grew up mostly in Anchorage and spent time working in the oil fields in California, where I got an appreciation for one way to develop oil and gas resources. It was pretty eye-opening, with pipes running everywhere and shallow “straight hole” wells that are just spread over the landscape. Not like we do it here. It gave me a passion to refocus my career to an environmental track from what would have been a more traditional engineering education. Chris Wrobel: I supervise the permitting for Willow and Alpine and Kuparuk Fields. I’ve worked in Alaska for over 20 years. I started as an environmental consultant, working in oil and gas, mining, transportation, and village projects. Nagruk Harcharek: I started my career with our local village corporation as a project manager for UIC Science. I was able to observe collaboration between researchers and Indigenous communities. I looked at it as not just a job enhancing the Arctic science done for our country. Voice of the Inupiat is often labeled as being pro-development. I would say we are pro-people, pro-self-determination. It just happens that we are doing that through resource development. Chris Wrobel: At ConocoPhillips we have a role for well-planned, responsible developments. They take time and they require stability — fiscal and regulatory. When we have that we provide stable production for energy security and public benefits that flow from it. This winter will be our second construction season at Willow. We will have 1,800 people working. John Hellen: Just over a year ago we sanctioned $2.6 billion to bring the Pikka project online. There will be 2,500 working over the next couple of winters. We’ve got busy years ahead of us. My team is making sure we get buy-in from the agencies and the local community. Our project is located on village corporation land, and we take that responsibility very seriously. Nagruk Harcharek: The Voice was created in 2015. We have a 24-member board, so when our messaging goes out that carries weight. The leaders on the North Slope created the North Slope Borough to provide services and improve living conditions. About 95% of its budget is funded through oil and gas taxation. Between 1980 and 2014 life expectancy increased 13 years. There’s no greater measurement of success than that. Kara Moriarty: Chris, what does the new NPR-A rule mean to Willow? Chris Wrobel: The NPR-A rule doesn’t appear to impact Willow but as it’s proposed it is concerning. It appears quite a significant shift for management of the NPR-A. I spoke of the importance to us of longterm stability with regulations. So, it’s a problem. The proposed rule appears to miss the benefits of projects ALASKA’S OIL & GAS INDUSTRY: LEADING THE WAY FOR ENERGY SECURITY & INDEPENDENCE ALASKA RESOURCE REVIEW WINTER 2024 34
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