LNM17-248B89
PAN PANReceived 23 Sept 2026, 00:00 UTC
Warning text
SECTOR ANCHORAGE, TERRITORIAL SEA - SECTOR ANCHORAGE, SUBMERGED LAND ACT (SLA)
General / Hazards To Navigation / Obstructions
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc. (CPAI) plans to conduct marine ocean and seabed characterization studies near Oliktok Point. Studies will include buoy installation, tide gauge installation, bathymetric surveys, and navigational hazard surveys during the open water seasons of 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027. Temporary monitoring equipment will be placed in the area to support the studies. This request is specific to activities planned for the 2026 season; an LMN will be submitted in subsequent years as needed. Buoy installation includes the deployment and recovery of three wave buoys offshore of Oliktok Point during the 2026 open water season. Preliminary buoy locations are included in Table 1 and shown on the attached map; final buoy locations may vary by about 1 nautical mile from the preliminary locations based on planning with local vessel operators and conditions encountered in the field. Buoy 1 will be installed in shallow water, approximately 5 to 10 feet deep. Buoys 2 and 3 will be installed in deeper water, approximately 25 to 30 feet deep. All buoys will float on the surface. Final buoy locations, depths, and water depth will be recorded and submitted within two days of deployment. Each Spotter buoy will be moored to the seafloor and will have a spar buoy equipped with an LED strobe light to alert mariners. Buoys will be deployed in late-July or early- August and recovered in late-September to mid-October. One tide gauge will be installed at or near the Oliktok Point during the 2026 open water season. The tide gauge will consist of a pressure transducer located in a water depth of three to five feet, a cable to shore, and a data recorder onshore. The pressure transducer will be located about 20 feet from shore and will be mounted on a ¾ inch pipe that sticks up above the water approximately 3 feet. The pipe will be driven 2 to 3 feet into the seabed using a post drive and will be clearly marked for safety. The onshore data recorder will be kept in a weather resistant container (e.g. cooler or bucket) and secured to the gravel bag jetty on the west side of Oliktok Point. A survey staff will be installed next to the pressure transducer to provide manual readout. The staff will also be attached to a ¾ inch pipe driven into the seabed in the same manner as the pressure transducer. The tide gauge will be installed at the beginning of the open-water season. The tide gauge and associated materials will be removed prior to freeze up. The stake on which the tide gauge is mounted could present a hazard for small boats transiting near the beach. Mariners should reduce wake when transiting the area and maintain a distance of at least 100 feet from the stake in the water and the data recorder on shore. Work is planned to begin as early as July 10, 2026. Please contact Miranda Buckmaster at (907) 263-4868 or [email protected] should you have any questions or require additional information.
USCG Arctic District Local Notice to Mariners 45/2026
Keywordsnavigational hazard