Nearly 50 years later, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline isn’t just Alaska history—it’s Alaska’s future. Keeping TAPS full and flowing will be critical to unlocking new North Slope resources and strengthening Alaska’s economy for decades to come.
Regulatory process launched for 30 more years of trans-Alaska oil pipeline operations
Yereth Rosen, Alaska Beacon, August 28, 2026
Forty-nine years after it began transporting crude oil from Prudhoe Bay, the Trans Alaska Pipeline System is due for a regulatory renewal that will allow it to keep operating on federal lands into future decades.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has kicked off the process to renew the right-of-way agreement for the pipeline.
About half of the territory that the 800-mile pipeline system crosses is federal land, so a federal authorization is required. The rest of the territory is state or Native-owned land; the state is also due to issue its own right-of-way renewal.
In a statement, Kevin Pendergast, the BLM’s Alaska state director, predicted a robust future for operations of the pipeline system. It will carry new oil from federal land units, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where the Trump administration has pushed for oil drilling, he said.
“Nearly 50 years after its construction, the Trans Alaska Pipeline is still an engineering marvel and only growing in its importance to Alaska’s economy and global energy markets,” Pendergast said in the statement. “We are acting now to secure the pipeline’s future as we work to unlock the energy resources of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska and the Coastal Plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.”
The Trans Alaska Pipeline System was first authorized in 1974. It was built over the following three years.
Nova says the antimony development is fully funded by a US$43.4 million ($60.26 million) US Department of War award under the Defense Production Act Title III program.
Nova Minerals ships equipment for Alaska antimony plant
France Pinzon, Mining.Com.AU, August 28, 2026
Nova Minerals (ASX:NVA) has shipped approximately 454 tons of processing and refining equipment to Alaska, US, ahead of planned construction of its Port MacKenzie antimony plant.
The barge departed Seattle on 26 August and is expected to arrive in early September, allowing construction of the processing facilities to begin.
The shipment comprises more than 40 containers and multiple oversized loads of crushing, ore sorting, milling, flotation, and refining equipment.
Nova says the antimony development is fully funded by a US$43.4 million ($60.26 million) US Department of War award under the Defense Production Act Title III program.
The company acquired a recently decommissioned processing facility in North America and sourced additional equipment across the continent before consolidating the cargo in Seattle.
CEO Christopher Gerteisen says repurposing existing equipment has helped reduce costs and accelerate the development schedule.
“That decision allowed us to move faster and more cost-effectively as we construct our processing plant at Port MacKenzie and work toward first antimony production in 2027,” Gerteisen says.
The plant is designed to process stibnite-bearing material, initially producing antimony trisulphide under the government-funded project.
Nova says the modular design would allow future expansion into other refined products, including antimony metal and antimony trioxide.
The company also envisages the refinery providing toll-treatment services after completion of the funded project, processing material for defense, industrial, and critical technology supply chains.
Port MacKenzie provides access to deepwater port infrastructure, supporting the delivery of equipment for the planned processing operation.
Nova is advancing the Estelle Gold and Critical Minerals Project in Alaska’s Tintina Gold Belt. Estelle hosts two defined multimillion-ounce gold resources and more than 20 prospects along a 35km mineralized trend.
Geotechnical drilling program is the critical next step toward final design of the proposed
access road
AIDEA Board Unanimously Approves $25 Million to Advance the West Susitna Access Project
Yesterday, the Board of Directors of the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) voted unanimously, 7-0, to adopt Resolution No. G26-09, authorizing up to $25 million to fund the geotechnical drilling program for the
West Susitna Access Project and the permitting, hydrologic, engineering, and access work that directly supports it.
Geotechnical data is the gating input for final design of the proposed road. The information gathered through this program will drive bridge foundation design, material site development, culvert sizing, and refinement of the road alignment. Without it, the project cannot advance to a constructible design package.
“This is the work that turns a route on a map into a road that can actually be built,” said AIDEA Deputy Executive Director Brandon Brefczynski. “The Board’s unanimous action keeps the project on schedule for the upcoming field seasons and moves us another step closer to unlocking one of the most promising resource corridors in the state,” said AIDEA Board Chairman Bill Kendig.
The drilling program was developed by AIDEA staff working with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, Northern Region Materials Section, and the Authority’s engineering and permitting consultants. The investigation covers proposed bridge crossings along the alignment — including major crossings of the Skwentna River, with seismic velocity geophysical surveys at each bridge site — as well as material sites that will supply gravel and fill for construction, trail overcrossings, and large culvert locations.
The program will take place during the 2026–2027 field seasons, with crews and drill rigs moved between remote sites by helicopter. The authorization also funds the hydrologic and hydraulic field investigations and the preparation of state and federal permit applications — including U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, and Alaska Department of Fish and Game authorizations — required before drilling can begin.