ConocoPhillips briefs committee on Doyon 26 response and Willow, says exploration and major projects continue
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Summary
ConocoPhillips told the House Resources Committee that the Doyon 26 rig incident produced no serious injuries, the company supplied a substitute rig and expects no material change to its long‑term production forecast; Conoco also reviewed major projects including Willow (first oil targeted 2029) and highlighted multi‑decade investments in Alaska.
ConocoPhillips briefed the Alaska House Resources Committee on Jan. 28, 2026 about recent operations, emergency response to a drilling‑rig incident and the status of multiple North Slope projects, including generational investments such as Willow.
Barry Romberg, ConocoPhillips vice president for commercial and midstream, described a serious incident involving the Doyon 26 rig during transit and said the company’s early assessment showed "no serious injuries occurred," that the spill appeared contained and that ConocoPhillips activated emergency response and supported unified command with state and federal partners.
Romberg told the committee the company mobilized a substitute rig within about 48 hours so exploration plans for the winter would remain on track and he did not expect a material change to ConocoPhillips’ long‑term production forecast. Colin Wolf (vice president for finance) and other company representatives reviewed ConocoPhillips’ North Slope acreage, infrastructure connections (Kuparuk pipeline, TAPS), and a portfolio of projects and programs intended to stabilize and add production.
Conoco outlined near‑term major projects (for example Nuna and Coyote) and longer‑term generational investments including Willow. The company said Willow is a greenfield development that requires large logistics and staged module deliveries; Conoco reported fabrication about halfway complete and cited a target of first oil in 2029 with central facility work continuing into 2028.
Company witnesses discussed the role of fiscal stability (referencing SB21) in facilitating long‑term investment and reiterated ConocoPhillips’ Alaska commitments: the company said it has spent roughly $50 billion in Alaska over its history and paid about $37 billion to the state since 2007.
Committee members asked about drilling timelines, the scale of work in Kuparuk (infill drilling volumes), the sensitivity of fiscal forecasts to oil price assumptions, Alaska hire percentages (Conoco said >80% local hire) and whether the Doyon 26 incident would alter project plans; company witnesses reiterated that operations had been adjusted to maintain schedules and that staff would follow up on detailed technical questions through committee channels.