VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 2 | JUNE 2026
BUILDING ALASKA’S FUTURE WORKFORCE
ConocoPhillips now past halfway mark on Willow in NPR-A
quite a number of inclement weather days, ConocoPhillips Executive Vice President Kirk Johnson said. “Despite that, again, our teams were able to accomplish the full winter scope … we were able to get all of the bridges down and the en- tirety of the gravel scope. So, think road, pads and even the airstrip,” Johnson said. Getting the gravel work done last winter is important because the roads and pad need a summer season for compression, which will allow their use next winter. Another accom- plishment is bringing a connection for fuel gas to Willow, which will allow for power genera- tion, Johnson said. Willow is expected to produce at a peak production of 180,000 barrels per day with three production pads beginning in 2029. The project is significant because Willow is the first major oil development in the 23-million-acre NPR-A.
transit across ice roads to Willow in 2028. Willow is on schedule for startup in early 2029. ConocoPhillips Chairman and CEO Ryan Lance and other top executives briefed invest- ment analysts on Willow and other topics in the company’s quarterly earnings call April 30. Lance said the company is proud of its completion of a productive winter NPR-A exploration season. Four test wells were drilled in a search for new discoveries on leases held by the company. This sets ConocoPhillips up for potential new oil to flow to Willow’s processing facilities, Lance said. “It’s still early days but we are excited about the opportunity and the results, and more low-cost resources coming to the Willow area,” he told analysts during the earnings call. A part of the winter exploration season in- cluded additional seismic work and exploration for gravel resources that will be needed for future road and pads, he said. The winter season had its challenges with
ConocoPhillips is now past the halfway mark in construction of its Willow project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), on the western North Slope. Willow’s capital cost is estimated at $8.5 billion to $9 billion. The company was able to meet all of its objectives in the winter construction season that recently ended, particularly key roadwork, pads and bridges that will allow the summer work to continue on schedule. The east-west pipeline connection also progressed, which will allow oil from Willow to flow through existing pipelines in the Alpine and Kuparuk River fields to Pump Station One of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System, which is in the Prudhoe Bay field. About 2,000 people were employed last win- ter season. The workforce will drop to 1,000 for summer construction and ramp up again for next winter with 2,000 expected to be employed. The company is preparing for process plant modules to be delivered by sealift in 2027 followed by
How ConocoPhillips is supporting education, skilled training of workers EDITOR'S NOTE: Tim Turner is Vice President of Operations
with ConocoPhillips Alaska. He has spent 20 years with ConocoPhillips spanning a variety of engineering and production operations leadership roles in the Lower 48 and Alaska. We asked him to provide an overview of process technology education in Alaska and how ConocoPhillips is helping Alaskans earn skills needed for safety-critical jobs.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE CONOCOPHILLIPS ALASKA UA PROCESS TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT FUND, AND WHY IS NOW THE RIGHT TIME FOR CON- OCOPHILLIPS TO LAUNCH THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA SYSTEM? The purpose of the ConocoPhillips Alaska Process Technology Support Fund is to strengthen process technology education state- wide — so more Alaskans can earn the skills needed for safety-crit- ical jobs that support Alaska’s economy. We launched the fund with a $400,000 contribution to sup- port the University of Alaska (UA) process technology programs in Fairbanks and on the Kenai Peninsula, including equipment and technology upgrades and expanded outreach. This is the right time because the workforce need is real and immediate, and because UA’s process technology programs already deliver strong outcomes — about 87% of graduates enter Alaska’s workforce within a year. We see this as a long-term workforce development investment that connects classroom learning to real careers, and we hope it also en- courages additional industry partners to invest in this vital pipeline. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CURRENT NEED FOR SKILLED PRO- CESS TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONALS IN ALASKA’S ENERGY INDUSTRY, AND WHAT GAPS IS CONOCOPHILLIPS HOPING TO HELP ADDRESS THROUGH THIS INITIATIVE? Alaska’s energy industry depends on highly skilled process technicians and operators to keep critical infrastructure running safely and reliably. The need is growing, and the challenge is two- fold: awareness and access. Too few Alaskans — especially students in rural communities — know this career path exists, and training programs need the modern tools and reach to prepare students for today’s operating environments. This initiative helps close those gaps by expanding early expo- sure for high school students, modernizing hands-on training, and creating clearer pathways from classroom to good-paying, in-de- mand careers in Alaska.
— Tim Bradner
Photo Courtesy of ConocoPhillips Alaska
abstract for us — it shows up every day in the people who keep our operations safe and running. Many ConocoPhillips Alaska operators started in the University of Alaska process technology programs, and we know the value of graduates arriving with strong fundamentals and hands-on experience. Our involvement helps ensure the training stays aligned with real-world needs: emphasizing safety culture, reliability, prob- lem-solving and the technologies students will see on the job. It also means we can contribute in practical ways — indus- try speakers, engagement during outreach, and clearer pathways through internships and apprenticeships — so students can see a future in this field and move from education into career opportu- nities in Alaska. LOOKING AHEAD, WHAT KIND OF LONG-TERM IMPACT DO YOU HOPE THIS PARTNERSHIP WILL HAVE ON ALASKA’S TALENT PIPELINE AND THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE STATE’S ENERGY WORKFORCE? Long term, we want this partnership to make process technol- ogy a well-known, accessible pathway to stable, high-demand ca- reers — especially for Alaska students who might not otherwise know about or see themselves in these roles. Success looks like more students earning early college credit, more modern training capacity, and more graduates stepping into jobs across Alaska’s critical industries. On our side, we’re also expanding career on-ramps — our goal is to increase our process tech/operator summer interns each year, split between high school and college-level opportunities, and a stronger pipeline of operator apprenticeships for post-graduates. Together, those pieces help sustain a workforce that can support safe operations and long-term economic vitality for Alaska.
HOW DOES THIS FUND STRENGTHEN BOTH IN-PERSON LEARNING IN PLACES LIKE FAIRBANKS AND FLEXIBLE OR VIRTUAL PATHWAYS LIKE THOSE OFFERED IN KENAI, ESPECIALLY FOR DUAL-CREDIT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND WORKING ADULTS? We designed this support to strengthen the program where stu- dents learn — in labs, classrooms and communities—while also expanding flexible access. In Fairbanks, the fund helps modernize hands-on training capacity with updated instructional equipment and simulation technology, so students practice on tools that mir- ror real operational environments. Statewide, UA’s high school bridging approach makes it pos- sible for students to earn college credit early through a 3-credit introductory process technology course that can be offered both in-person and online. On the Kenai Peninsula, the fund supports programs that meet students where they are, including outreach that builds awareness in rural communities through the “Taste of College” program, and a “train-the-teachers” approach — enabled by portable simulation equipment — so more high schools can offer dual-credit process technology courses. And to help students take the next step after high school, we’ve also launched a scholarship fund for those pursuing the two-year Process Technology degree through the University of Alas- ka — whether they attend in Fairbanks or on the Kenai Peninsula. WHAT DOES CONOCOPHILLIPS’ DIRECT INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPORT MEAN TO YOU PERSONALLY, AND HOW DOES IT SHAPE THE WAY THIS PRO- GRAM IS BUILT AND DELIVERED? Personally, this matters because workforce development is not
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ALASKA RESOURCE REVIEW JUNE 2026
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