State Approves Badami and Pikka Oil Plan Amendments

The Alaska Division of Oil and Gas signed off on two North Slope projects, including a permanent gravel road and new facilities at the Pikka unit.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Oil and Gas

Vector editorial illustration of a pale gravel road crossing flat Arctic tundra toward a pipeline, with plain fuel tanks and a small shop structure on a gravel pad. — Savant Alaska LLC received state approval to build a permanent gravel road at the Badami unit, while Oil Search (Alaska) LLC gained authorization for new facilities at the Pikka unit on the North Slope. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

The Alaska Division of Oil and Gas approved plan of operations amendments for work at the Badami and Pikka units. Savant Alaska LLC will build a permanent gravel access road from the Badami main pad to a caribou crossing over the Point Thomson pipeline.

Why it matters

The Badami road would reduce the safety risks and complex logistics of building seasonal ice roads for rig moves over the Point Thomson pipeline. The Pikka work adds staging, storage and fuel facilities on the North Slope for Oil Search (Alaska) LLC.

The Badami road uses 0.479 acres of gravel from the Badami mine site extension cell, while Pikka's bulk fuel storage totals about 60,000 gallons at the MC7903 pad. Project scale beyond these figures, including total construction cost, is not stated in the approval materials.

The players

Alaska Division of Oil and Gas

The state agency responsible for regulating oil and gas exploration, development and production on Alaska's public and private lands, which approved the plan amendments.

Savant Alaska LLC

A subsidiary owned by APA Alaska that is building the permanent gravel access road from the Badami main pad over the Point Thomson pipeline.

Oil Search (Alaska) LLC

The operator that requested authorization to install facilities at the MC7903 pad in the Pikka unit on Alaska's North Slope.

The details

Savant Alaska LLC, owned by APA Alaska, requested authorization to build the Badami road south of the pad toward the pipeline. Oil Search (Alaska) LLC requested authorization to install a tent, a shop, fuel storage tanks, generators and environmental vacuum units at the MC7903 pad within the Pikka unit.

Oct. 31: Scheduled start of Pikka MC7903 pad project.
Nov. 1: Scheduled start of Badami gravel access road work.

Roadmap

Alaska's North Slope operators have long relied on seasonal ice roads to move rigs over pipelines like Point Thomson, a method that carries recurring safety and logistics costs. The Badami gravel road represents a shift toward permanent access infrastructure in the same corridor.

Residents and workers near Deadhorse and Nuiqsut will see increased construction traffic and facility activity as the Badami and Pikka projects begin. The permanent Badami road could reduce the reliance on seasonal ice roads for future rig moves in that area.

The takeaway

Permanent access roads can replace seasonal ice roads and lower the safety and logistics risks tied to rig moves across pipelines. Watch for construction updates as the scheduled Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 start dates approach.