The Army Corps of Engineers is considering Hilcorp’s plan for a new road-accessible drilling pad near Ninilchik.
Lori Nelson with Hilcorp said the construction of their proposed gas drilling pad would include infrastructure to tie in that production to the pipeline system.
Nelson: “Trying to permit construction of the new pad within the Ninilchik Unit. The pad location that we’re hopefully going to move forward with this fall is just south of the Susan Dionne Pad off of the Sterling Highway in Ninilchik.”
Hilcorp is hoping to acquire the necessary permits in order to begin construction in September.
Andy Mitzel with the Department of the Army said their main responsibility is the Clean Water Act for proposed plans like Hillcorp’s.
Mitzel: “What that means in English is if you’re going to do some work in a wetland that we have jurisdiction over, you need a permit from us. They’re in the process of basically having a review of this project to see if they can do what they want to do.”
According to Mitzel, the plan indicates there would be approximately four acres of wetlands that would be both permanently and temporarily impacted by the pad’s construction.
Public comment will be taken until July 21:
Emails including public comments can be sent to andy.mitzel@usace.army.mil.
Regular mail can be addressed to:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Alaska District
Regulatory Division, CEPOA-RD
2204 3rd Street, Post Office Box 6898
JBER, Alaska 99506-0898