By THE ALASKA STORY
Aug. 12, 2026 – ConocoPhillips Alaska has achieved first oil from its $800 million Coyote 3SX development on the North Slope, bringing new production into the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System ahead of schedule and under budget.
The company announced Wednesday that production began Friday, Aug. 7, at the Coyote development in the Kuparuk River Unit. The project is located on state land, meaning its production will generate royalties and tax revenue for Alaska in addition to supporting jobs and adding barrels to TAPS.
ConocoPhillips approved funding for the project in October 2025 and began construction in early 2026. At the peak of construction in April, approximately 365 workers were employed on the development.
Coyote is expected to reach a peak production rate of approximately 12,000 barrels of oil per day, according to the company.
“Coyote 3SX demonstrates our commitment to maximizing the value of our legacy assets while continuing to deliver safe, reliable domestic production,” ConocoPhillips Alaska President Erec Isaacson said.
The project makes use of existing infrastructure at the Kuparuk River Unit, allowing the company to bring additional production online more efficiently than would be possible with an entirely new stand-alone development. ConocoPhillips also installed additional pipeline capacity to accommodate rising Coyote production during 2026 and beyond.
“The additional pipeline required for the project will support increased production from Coyote as volumes rise in 2026 and beyond,” Isaacson said.
Although 12,000 barrels per day represents only a portion of total North Slope production, incremental projects such as Coyote are slowing the long-term decline in TAPS throughput. The pipeline carries oil approximately 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay to the Valdez Marine Terminal.
ConocoPhillips said it invests approximately $1 billion annually to maintain and expand production from its established Alaska assets. Coyote is one of several projects intended to extract additional oil from fields where roads, pipelines and production facilities are already in place.
“The Coyote project is a testament to the hard work, commitment to safety and excellence of our dedicated team,” Isaacson said.
The company also used Wednesday’s announcement to emphasize the importance of Alaska maintaining a stable and predictable fiscal system. Large oil developments require years of planning and substantial upfront investment before the first barrel reaches the pipeline.
Coyote’s early startup provides another positive development for Alaska’s oil industry as ConocoPhillips simultaneously advances its much larger Willow project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. While Willow represents a major new field development, projects such as Coyote demonstrate the continuing production potential of the North Slope’s mature legacy fields.
