Alaska oil industry worker dies in industrial accident in Prudhoe Bay

Updated: 15 Some minutes ago Published: 15 Some minutes ago

A worker died at a Prudhoe Bay facility on Wednesday, the fourth reported workplace death in the North Slope oil industry in 14 months.

A spokesman for Hilcorp, the operator of Prudhoe Bay, confirmed the death in an email on Thursday.

“We regret to announce that an employee of Chosen Construction Inc. was fatally injured at the Central Compression Plant in Prudhoe Bay on June 5, 2024,” Luke Miller, a spokesman for Hilcorp Energy, said in the email.

“We feel this loss deeply and our thoughts and prayers are with the family and employees of Chosen Construction,” Miller said. “All work was immediately halted, the site secured and the appropriate authorities notified. Hilcorp and Chosen Construction are working closely with authorities to conduct a full investigation.”

(Oil industry worker in Alaska North Slope dies in work accident)

Jason Daniels, president of Chosen Construction, said the incident is under investigation.

He said that following the workplace deaths on the Slope, companies across the North Slope are reviewing their operations.

“My prayers are with the family,” he said.

“I have no further comment until we resolve the matter,” he said. “Out of respect for the family, colleagues and friends, I do not wish to say anything further other than that the matter is under investigation.”

He declined to disclose the employee’s age or name.

The first of the four deaths occurred in April 2023 at Chosen Construction’s Deadhorse shop, when 23-year-old Colby Lord died of head injuries after falling from a truck onto an icy surface while unloading pipe, according to state authorities.

Lord was employed by Worley Alaska, a construction and oilfield services company, but was embedded with Hilcorp and received instructions from the oil producer, state officials said.

Deadhorse is the industrial town that supplies the North Slope oil fields.

Alaska and federal occupational safety and health authorities were not immediately available for comment Thursday.

The four deaths represent an unusually high number of fatalities in a relatively short period of time in the region’s oilfield business, according to media reports and U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration records.

This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.

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