Alaska Delegation Celebrates First Oil from Pikka Development

Alaska Delegation Celebrates First Oil from Pikka Development

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski, and Congressman Nick Begich (all R-Alaska), today celebrated an announcement from Santos and Repsol that first oil has been produced at the Pikka development on Alaska's North Slope.

"This is one of the most significant achievements on the North Slope in decades and further cements the region's renaissance. Pikka will help refill the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, create great jobs for Alaskans, and bring billions to the state over its lifespan-benefitting all who live here," Murkowski said. "This is also just the start, with new phases of the project yet to come and additional development taking place across the Nanushuk formation. I heartily congratulate Santos, Repsol, their hard-working teams, and individuals like Bill Armstrong who made this happen-from the vision to explore and discover, to now firmly putting Alaska back on the map as the place to produce energy."

"The Pikka project, Alaska's largest oil development in more than 20 years, is more than a decade in the making," Sullivan said. "I had the honor of approving the exploration well when I served as Alaska's DNR commissioner as we were marshaling new companies from around the world, large and small, to come and invest in our great state. We also worked relentlessly to make our permitting system more efficient, ensured companies were abiding by the terms of their leases, and if they weren't got them out to bid to others quickly, and we also worked with the Legislature to create a more predictable tax system. All of this resulted in the Pikka discovery and more energy companies working on the North Slope-which is now one of the hottest oil plays in the world. Pikka will deliver 80,000 barrels of peak daily production through TAPS, billions of dollars in investments in our state and communities over its lifetime, and thousands of good-paying direct and indirect jobs for Alaskans across the state. I want to congratulate all the hard-working men and women who put in thousands of hours to bring Pikka online and to reach this major milestone in Alaska energy development. The Alaska Comeback continues!"

"First oil at Pikka signifies that Alaska's North Slope remains one of the world's premier energy regions and reinforces Alaska's critical role in American energy security. This project is the result of decades long persistence and the willingness to invest in Alaska when many doubted what was possible," Begich said. "At peak production, Pikka is expected to deliver 80,000 barrels per day, generating billions in investment and revenue for Alaska. That kind of opportunity only exists because people were willing to reject the idea of decline, think long-term, and invest in Alaska's future. I congratulate everyone involved in bringing Pikka to first oil and look forward to seeing the opportunities this project will continue to create for Alaska families and America's energy future."

According to Santos, production at Pikka will initially reach 20,000 barrels per day over the next few weeks as various subsystems are brought online and eventually reach 80,000 barrels per day by the third quarter of 2026.

###