By THE ALASKA STORY
ConocoPhillips Alaska says the incident involving Doyon Drilling Rig 26 on the North Slope has officially moved out of the emergency response phase and into environmental impact assessment and mitigation, according to a statement released today.
“The incident involving Doyon Drilling Rig 26 has transitioned from an initial emergency response to an environmental impact assessment and mitigation effort,” the company said.
ConocoPhillips confirmed that two individuals who were on the rig at the time of the incident, along with six initial responders, were treated at nearby medical clinics and have all been released. The company also said that traffic flow has resumed and that there is no threat to local infrastructure or communities.
According to the statement, Doyon Drilling, the owner and operator of the rig, is now leading response and recovery operations under a Unified Command structure, which includes representatives from the State of Alaska, the federal government, and the North Slope Borough.
“Additional details will be communicated by the Unified Command led by Doyon Drilling,” the statement said.
The update follows Friday’s dramatic collapse of the massive Arctic drilling rig known as Doyon 26, often referred to in the industry as “The Beast,” which tipped over and crumpled near Alpine on the North Slope. Video of the wreckage rapidly circulated on social media, showing the towering structure collapsed on the ice road surface.
Breaking: Doyon 26 drilling rig tips over near Alpine on North Slope; two workers escape
Initial reports indicated the rig was part of a ConocoPhillips operation and was likely traveling toward a NPRA drilling site, though that detail has not been officially confirmed.
Doyon 26 is one of the largest mobile drilling rigs operating in Arctic conditions, and its collapse represents a significant industrial incident for North Slope operations, even as officials emphasize that no community infrastructure has been threatened.
The Alaska Story will continue to update this report as official findings, environmental assessments, and recovery details are released.
