A major Alaska infrastructure deal could reshape future drilling and development plans by adding critical pipeline access and production assets.
APA Acquires Alaska Pipeline, Badami Oil Facilities in $70 Million Deal
Pipeline & Gas Journal, June 10, 2026
APA Corp. has agreed to acquire Savant Alaska LLC for approximately $70 million, gaining ownership of key North Slope pipeline and oilfield infrastructure that will support future exploration and development activities in Alaska.
The transaction includes the Badami production facilities, which have a nameplate capacity of approximately 40,000 barrels per day, and the Nutaaq Pipeline, an 80,000-bpd crude oil pipeline that connects the Badami area to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS).
APA said the acquisition is expected to improve development flexibility across its eastern North Slope acreage by providing direct control of infrastructure needed for drilling, production and transportation activities. The assets are expected to support exploration and appraisal programs planned for the 2026-2027 winter drilling season.
In addition to the pipeline and production facilities, the deal includes supporting infrastructure such as housing accommodations, a grind-and-inject system, barge and wharf facilities, runway access and gravel resources.
“The acquisition secures control of strategic infrastructure adjacent to our eastern North Slope acreage and enhances our ability to execute our planned drilling program,” APA CEO John Christmann said. He added that ownership of the infrastructure should provide greater flexibility for future development planning.
APA will assume operatorship of the existing joint venture and plans to drill one exploration well and one appraisal well during the 2026-2027 winter season. The appraisal program will help evaluate the Sockeye complex and assess opportunities to utilize existing Badami infrastructure.
The acquisition also includes approximately 17,000 net acres in the producing Badami unit, approximately 75,000 net acres in the Grey Owl unit and additional adjacent acreage. Following the transaction, APA’s eastern North Slope position will total approximately 487,000 gross acres.
The deal is expected to close by the end of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
With progress being made on the Ambler Road and the Arctic project accepted for streamlined federal permitting under FAST-41, Ambler Metals is aligning both its Northwest Alaska fieldwork and executive office toward development of the first mine in the Ambler Mining District
Ambler Metals assembles Arctic mine pieces
Shane Lasley, North of 60 Mining News, June 9, 2026
Ambler Metals’ transition from the advanced exploration stage into permitting and future development was underscored by the naming of Ron Rimelman as the president of the joint venture held equally by Trilogy Metals Inc. and South32 Ltd.
“Ron’s expertise in the environmental review process and deep knowledge of Alaska make him a strong leader to guide the Arctic Project to the next phase,” said Ambler Metals Managing Director Kaleb Froehlich, who will work alongside the new president moving forward.
Rimelman’s experience comes from more than 40 years of expertise in the environmental review and permitting of natural resource development projects across North America, including serving as vice president of environment, health, safety, and sustainability at Novagold Resources, where he spearheaded permitting for the Donlin Gold project.
As vice president of environmental services for global engineering firm Tetra Tech Inc., he also carried out environmental and permitting work for the Greens Creek, Kensington, and Red Dog mines.
Now, he brings that depth of experience to Ambler Metals.
“Having been involved in environmental planning for projects in Alaska for many years, it’s an honor to continue leading responsible resource development in the Upper Kobuk as president of Ambler Metals,” said Rimelman. “I look forward to working alongside our world-class team to successfully complete permitting for the Arctic Project, which would create high-quality jobs and unlock significant economic opportunity in Alaska, particularly for local residents and shareholders.”
His leadership comes just weeks after Ambler Metals initiated federal permitting for developing a mine at Arctic that is expected to deliver 1.9 billion pounds of copper, 2.3 billion lb of zinc, 388 million lb of lead, 40.6 million ounces of silver, and 386,000 oz of gold over an initial 12 years of operation.
In mid-May, the Arctic mine permits were accepted for review under FAST-41, a federal program designed to improve transparency, coordination, and predictability for strategically important infrastructure and resource projects in the United States.
The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, which oversees FAST-41, is currently consulting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and coordinating agencies. This initial consultation will determine the federal permitting timeline, which is expected to be posted to the Arctic project’s FAST-41 dashboard by mid-July.
As Arctic settles into the federal permitting process, Ambler Metals has launched a 2026 field program centered on collecting information that will support a future development decision for the high-grade copper-zinc-lead-silver-gold project on the JV’s Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects in the Ambler District.