Notice of Application for State Water Quality Certification

Public Notice (PN) Date: May 6, 2026                 PN Reference Number: POA-2015-00025-M9 v3.0
PN Expiration Date: June 5, 2026                        Waterway: Colville River

Any applicant for a federal license or permit to conduct an activity that might result in a discharge into waters of the United States, in accordance with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA), must also apply for and obtain certification from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation that the discharge will comply with the CWA and the Alaska Water Quality Standards (18 AAC 70). The scope of certification is limited to the water quality-related impacts of the activity subject to the Federal license or permit (40 CFR 121.3, 18 AAC 15.180).

Notice is hereby given that a request for a CWA §401 Water Quality Certification of a Department of the Army Permit application, Corps of Engineers’ PN Reference Number indicated above, has been received[1] for the discharge of dredged and/or fill materials into waters of the United States (WOTUS), including wetlands, as described below, and shown on the project figures/drawings. The public notice and related project figures/drawings are accessible from the DEC website at https://dec.alaska.gov/water/wastewater/.

To comment on the project or request a public hearing with respect to water quality, submit comments via (preferred method) DEC website https://dec.alaska.gov/commish/public-notices/ or email to the DEC email address: DEC-401Cert@alaska.gov with the subject line referencing Public Notice Reference Number: POA-2015-00025-M9 v3.0 or on or before the public notice expiration date listed above.

Applicant: Oil Search (Alaska), LLC, a subsidiary of Santos Limited, Alan Johnson, 601 W 5th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501, (907) 375-4600; Alan.johnson@santos.com

Agent: Oil Search (Alaska), LLC, a subsidiary of Santos Limited, Shauna Holben, 601 W 5th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501; (907) 375-4600; shauna.holben@santos.com

Project Name: Pikka Development Project

Dates of the proposed activity are planned to begin and end: 11/01/2015 to 12/31/2030

Location: The proposed activity is located within Sections 25 and 36, T. 11N, R. 5E, Umiat Meridian, in the North Slope Borough, Alaska. Section 21-23, 28-31, T. 11N, R. 6E, Umiat Meridian, in North Slope Borough, Alaska.  Project Site (Latitude, Longitude): 70.264755, -150.74923.

Purpose: The purpose of the Project is to safely produce commercial quantities of liquid hydrocarbons in oil and gas leaseholds by operating from a site east of the Colville River Delta; to process hydrocarbons on or near the drill sites; and to transport sales-quality oil through an export pipeline to the Kuparuk sales oil pipeline, and then to TAPS.

The purpose of the modification to the Project is to expand the NDC Pad and add pipeline valve access pads to accommodate updated safety and logistics considerations for operations, drilling, and completions activities. The Pikka Development Project changes are a result of incremental advancements in project design, construction methods, and operational requirements.

Description of Proposed Work: The applicant proposes modifying the Pikka Development Project (formerly known as the Nanushuk Project). The proposed modifications would increase the footprint of the NDC pad and access road, as well as the construction of two pipeline valve pads to discharge 46,500 cubic yards of gravel fill, resulting in permanent impacts to 3.44 acres of wetland. Specifically, the proposed impacts would consist of a 2.3-acre expansion of the NDC pad footprint, 0.9 acre for two NDC valve pads, and a 0.24-acre increase in the NDC access road footprint.

Oil Search (Alaska), LLC, a subsidiary of Santos Limited (Santos), is requesting a modification to revise the 401 Certification associated with the Department of the Army (DA) permit for the Pikka Development Project POA-2015-00025. The proposed changes are for the Nanushuk Drillsite C (NDC) components and represent a 3.44 acre in increase in the project footprint from that originally permitted, into the waters of the US.

Santos proposes to modify the footprint of the NDC Pad to accommodate updated safety and logistics considerations for operations, drilling, and completions activities, including relocating the drilling camp area on the NDC Pad. The pad expansion and modification will increase the footprint of the pad by 2.3 acres. The proposed NDC Pad modifications will require an additional 32,000 cubic yards of gravel fill. 

Due to the proposed NDC Pad footprint modification and drilling camp relocation, the NDC road has been extended 0.03 miles to meet the proposed NDC Pad, resulting in a 0.24-acre increase in footprint for the road. This area falls within the previously permitted Project footprint but will increase the NDC road fill quantity by 2,000 cubic yards.

Santos has also advanced pipeline design and proposes a minor update to the location of the NDC Infield Pipeline to include two proposed pipeline valve access pads. The valve pads will be located on either side of the Kachemach River Pipeline Bridge. The valve pads will allow year-round access for inspections and emergency response. The two proposed valve pads will increase the total Project footprint by 0.9 acres (~12,500 cubic yards of gravel). The valve pad on the west side of the Kachemach River Bridge will be approximately 0.5 acres, and the valve pad located on the east side of the bridge will be approximately 0.4 acres.

Applicant Proposed Mitigation: The applicant proposes the following mitigation measures to avoid, minimize, and compensate for impacts to waters of the United States from activities involving discharges of dredged or fill material.

1. Avoidance: The following measures will be taken to avoid impacts to aquatic ecosystems, including wetlands, to the greatest extent practicable:

   •     Placement of proposed fill is adjacent to the already permitted NDC Pad, pipeline, and access road. This concentrates gravel fill placement in areas already permitted for development and avoids additional impacts to undisturbed tundra areas.

   •     Gravel for the Project will either be stockpiled upland or be transported directly from the material site and placed within the permitted footprint.

   •     Single-season ice roads and ice pads will be used to support winter construction, avoiding the need for temporary filling during construction.

2. Minimization: The following additional measures will be taken to minimize impacts to the greatest extent possible:

   •     By expanding the permitted footprint of the NDC Pad, Santos will be able to accommodate completions, storage, well stimulation, and testing equipment, as well as temporary construction and production facilities, and avoid the need for a separate staging pad, therefore minimizing impacts to waters of the U.S. (WOTUS).

   •     Tundra access ramps, which allow access over the pipeline, were removed from the valve pad design to further minimize impacts to WOTUS. Since the Kachemach River Pipeline Bridge is located upstream of the river and the NDC access road, it was determined that tundra access ramps would not be required.

   •     The proposed NDC Pad was designed to meet the minimum requirements for safe practices and planned development activities. Santos has planned well spacing to the minimum standards that still meet the Project surface and subsurface requirements.

   •     Fill material acquired for the Project will be clean fill material and sourced from one of the local existing mine sites.

   •     Gravel fill material will be placed during frozen conditions to minimize wetland disturbance.

   •     Water withdrawal for ice pad and ice road construction will be conducted in compliance with Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR) water withdrawal authorizations and Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) fish habitat permit stipulations.

3. Mitigation: A compensatory mitigation plan (CMP) was approved for this Project and modified under file number POA-2015-00025-M4. The CMP applies to these proposed modifications and continues to provide appropriate and practicable compensatory mitigation to compensate for the unavoidable loss of WOTUS based on USACE’s watershed-informed decision. Santos does not propose additional compensatory mitigation beyond what is being implemented under the approved plan.

After reviewing the application, the Department will evaluate whether the activity will comply with applicable water quality requirements (any limitation, standard, or other requirement under sections 301, 302, 306, and 307 of the CWA, any Federal and state laws or regulations implementing those sections, and any other water quality-related requirement of state law). The Department may certify (or certify with conditions) with reasonable assurance that the activity and any discharge that might result will comply with water quality requirements. The Department also may deny or waive certification.

The permit application and associated documents are available for review. To inquire about or request copies of the documents, contact dec-401cert@alaska.gov or call 907-269-6285.

Disability Reasonable Accommodation Notice:  The State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation, complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. If you are a person with a disability who may need special accommodation to participate in this public process, please contact ADA Coordinator Kristin Mabry, kristin.mabry@alaska.gov, 1-907-334-0884; or TDD Relay Service 1-800-770-8973/TTY or dial 711 at least 3 days before the expiration/closure date of this public notice to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.

-------------------------