Willow is estimated to produce more than 180,000 barrels of oil per day at its peak, representing an important component of America’s energy supply and Alaska’s economy. During construction, Willow is expected to create around 2,500, with a majority of labor provided by union workers. The development is estimated to create 300 permanent jobs.

The economic impact of the Willow project will be sizable. According to BLM estimates, Willow could generate between $8 billion and $17 billion in new revenue for the federal government, the state of Alaska, the North Slope Borough and local communities. Based on BLM estimates at ~$61/barrel oil price, revenue from Willow includes:

• $6.1 billion to the federal government from federal royalty, income taxes and gravel sales. This includes:
  • $2.3 billion to impacted North Slope communities through the NPR-A Impact Mitigation Grant Program.
• $1.3 billion to Alaska from production, property and income taxes.
• $1.2 billion to the North Slope Borough from property taxes

Federal legislation requires 50% of federal revenue from NPR-A be made available through the NPR-A Impact Mitigation Grant Program, a unique program that has significant social and environmental justice benefits. These grants fund city operations, youth programs and essential community projects which in turn create local jobs for residents. Property taxes from the Willow project would also help fund essential services such as schools, emergency response capabilities, health clinics, drinking water, wastewater, roads, power, and solid waste disposal.

For more than 20 years, ConocoPhillips has operated near the village of Nuiqsut. We value our relationships with Nuiqsut residents and other North Slope community members. Throughout the development of all of our North Slope projects —including Willow — ConocoPhillips works to understand local perspectives and address community concerns. For example, after publication of the Willow Draft Environmental Impact Statement by the BLM in 2019, Nuiqsut village whaling captains and other residents expressed subsistence impact concerns regarding the proposed temporary gravel island to be built specifically for unloading sealift modules. This prompted the project team to reevaluate and change the development plan. ConocoPhillips requested a Supplement to the draft Environmental Impact Statement in 2020 and modified project plans to address the concerns of nearby residents.

Willow is designed to have minimal impact to the subsistence lifestyle of Alaska Native residents in the area and to the environment. Data collected since ConocoPhillips first started developing the Alpine Field in the Colville River Delta shows that subsistence lifestyles are thriving, and subsistence harvests are equal to or greater than before Alpine was built. Air quality on the North Slope is consistently better than national ambient air quality standards. Additionally, ConocoPhillips actively studies local wildlife populations, including conducting multi-year caribou baseline studies in the Willow area that found subsistence harvests have remained at or above previous levels for the duration of our operations near Nuiqsut. These studies will continue throughout the Willow project’s lifetime to ensure continued protection of wildlife and habitat.

In addition to promoting economic growth, Willow will also enhance U.S. energy security by increasing domestic oil supply. The Willow project is estimated to produce in excess of 180,000 barrels of oil per day at peak production.

Additional oil production will help keep a key piece of U.S. infrastructure, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), viable. TAPS requires a certain level of oil flow to continue operating and supplying American-produced fuel to the West Coast. The estimated peak production rate from Willow represents a more than 35% increase over current TAPS throughput.