ConocoPhillips Alaska has successfully delivered a single production module to drillsite 3T in the Kuparuk River Unit on Alaska’s North Slope. Earlier this summer, the module’s fabrication was completed as part of the Nuna major project at the Port of Alaska. The module then traveled by barge to Oliktok Dock where it was moved to its permanent location at drillsite 3T.
This is the first sea-lifted production module fabricated in Alaska for the company in more than two decades. Since January 2024, company investments in Alaska projects have exceeded $1.4 billion, lengthening the commitment to Alaska that ConocoPhillips has had for more than five decades.
During a ribbon cutting this summer, Erec Isaacson, President, ConocoPhillips Alaska, spoke about the module.
“It’s great to see the fabrication of the module take place right here in our backyard and be built by Alaskans,” he said. Nuna will bring Kuparuk’s 49th drillsite online and will add 29 development wells that tie back to existing processing facilities at Central Processing Facility 3. Nuna is projected to boost Kuparuk’s production in the coming years, reaching a peak rate of 20,000 net barrels of oil equivalent per day.
“Kuparuk has played a vital role in our company’s success, contributing significant production for more than 40 years,” Isaacson said. “It’s remarkable to witness new developments like the Nuna project showcasing that this asset remains robust and continues to provide considerable value to our North Slope operations.”
The site just east of the Colville River was explored by Pioneer Natural Resources, and oil was discovered in 2012. In 2019, ConocoPhillips Alaska acquired the 11 tracts over 21,000 acres, which by then included a gravel road and pad. In 2023, the company announced it would proceed with development.