Bloomberg Law
March 14, 2023, 7:55 PM

ConocoPhillips Starts Alaska Work Hours After Biden Announcement

Jennifer A. Dlouhy
Jennifer A. Dlouhy
Bloomberg News

ConocoPhillips wasted no time beginning work on its controversial $8 billion Willow oil project in Alaska after President Joe Biden approved the venture.

Within hours of the administration announcing its green light Monday, the company started building ice roads inside the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska to enable the movement of heavy equipment, according to a person familiar with the matter. ConocoPhillips expects to reach the site of a planned gravel mine and begin operations there as soon as Sunday, the person said.

The flurry of activity represents the US oil producer’s bid to make the most of a short seasonal opening ...