Doyon 26, known as the Beast, tipped over and caught fire later Friday afternoon as it was being moved on Alaska’s North Slope. Sources say the incident occurred near Alpine, located about 8 miles north of the village of Nuiqsut.
Doyon 26, which weighs nearly 10 million pounds, is the largest mobile land drilling rig in North America.
The rig is currently being operated on behalf of ConocoPhillips. ConocoPhillips sent a statement about the incident to all legislators and then to the media. In the statement they say there were no serious injuries.
At approximately 4:45 pm today, an incident involving Doyon 26 occurred while traveling on an ice road (was corrected to say gravel road) on the North Slope of Alaska, while operating on behalf of ConocoPhillips. A fire occurred and is currently contained and controlled. All personnel have been accounted for and there are no serious injuries. There was no damage to local community infrastructure and no impact to pipelines or fuel transportation. Emergency response personnel remain on site. We will provide additional details as they are available.
Update: ConocoPhillips provided a later statement about the incident.
The incident involving Doyon Drilling Rig 26 has transitioned from an initial emergency response to an environmental impact assessment and mitigation effort. The two individuals who were on the rig at the time of the incident and six other initial responders were treated at nearby clinics and have all been released. Traffic flow has resumed and there continues to be no threat to local infrastructure or communities. The owner and operator of the rig, Doyon Drilling, is leading response and recovery efforts under a Unified Command structure including representatives from the State of Alaska, the Federal Government and the North Slope Borough. Additional details will be communicated by the Unified Command led by Doyon Drilling.
Video obtained by the Landmine shows the rig tipping over. The derrick can be seen basically disintegrating as it hits the ground.
A 2022 Anchorage Daily News article said the rig “set a long-distance drilling record in Alaska, and unlocked oil from a new section of the western North Slope oil fields.”
Several people with North Slope experience have said the rig likely tipped due to being moved in warm 30 degree weather, which would have caused the road to be softer. Once it went off the shoulder on the soft ground, tipping over was probably inevitable.
It’s unclear what kind of impact this will have on the ongoing winter drilling season, but there will be an impact as the rig was being moved to go drill.
This is a developing story.
An apt metaphor.
Oh Fing shut up! Shit happens there was a small fire nothing caused any leak or toxic sludge You’re being rediculous! No matter what we do You’re gonna find something fucking wrong with oil! I guess You wetter throw away Your Phone Your car and most shit in Your dumb house and most things Your house is made out of if You hate Oil and Gas so Much oh and the fucking wind mills! They require OIL TOO! You big idiot! Why don’t You go live under a rock some place? Because When you decide to find something that has… Read more »
……not exactly my idea of eloquent, but yeah.
I think L H could get a walk-on gig on LANDMAN! Thanks for your post!
Certainly a kind way to say that he lives in fiction.
You must be new here L H, Mr. Svatass is 1.) not currently an Alaska resident (he lives in Las Vegas lol) and 2.) will NEVER have anything helpful to contribute to these comment sections but he certainly is an expert troll, just gotta overlook his humorous ignorance and keep it rollin ya know?
Hey Reggie/Chad/Josh/John/Jon/Bob Smith/Ted Stevens/Robert Atwood/etc. By the looks of these boards, you’ve got a lot of time on your hands! Now that you’re actually in Juneau, how about that meet-up you offered in November that you backed out of? Don’t worry, I won’t make you show the Sealaska shareholder card you lied about having. But I’m happy to confirm for the board your latest claims: that you’re not white, not Republican, and not Kevin McCabe. Should be easy enough. How about it? Coffee at Heritage? Happy hour beer? I don’t favor those downtown bars like you do, but I’m happy… Read more »
I’m not in Juneau, and I’m damned selective over who I dine with. Now run along. I’m busy watching the AFC Conference Championship.
Thanks, Reg/Chad/Josh/John/Jon/Bob Smith/Ted Stevens/Robert Atwood/etc. Tell us you’re a big fat liar without saying the words.
The name is Reggie (or Reginald), and I’m not Chad, Josh, John, Jon, Bob, Ted, Robert, or etc.
Thanks, Reg/Chad/Josh/John/Jon/Bob Smith/Ted Stevens/Robert Atwood/etc. Tell us you’re a big fat liar with a lot to hide without saying the words.
Lol, look at you desperately having to repeat your comment because the first one got flagged for review before they let it post! You really do need to consider coming out of retirement now Mark, no one will read your articles/blogs anymore than they did back when you were at the rag that is the Frontiersman but hey, it’ll save you a lot more emotional energy than continuing to lose to people like Reg and me on every article!
“……… You really do need to consider coming out of retirement now Mark………”
It’s pretty disturbing that he was trying to get somebody to meet him using cheerful, persuasive, upbeat language. Then, when I refused and again asserted that I only post under my name, it was back to his oft-repeated phrases and cliche’s. I feel like a teenager being stalked. I’ll have to be especially aware in public restrooms.
I feel like I need a shower…………..
The name is Reggie (or Reginald), and I’m still not Chad, Josh, John, Jon, Bob, Ted, Robert, or etc.
He’s hiding that he’s famous RINO Kevin Mccabe, the PFD thief. Not hiding it very well though. His obsessions always give him away.
Funny your buddy, the Editor, has gotten remarkably (and thankfully) silent since the legislative session opened and jjAlaska arrived in Juneau and tried to get some here to wine and dine with him. One must wonder………..
BTW, are you Mike Alexander?
Definitely the useless uniparty tool McCabe. Looks like he’s been posting during legislative hours too. Constituents deserve better.
“……….Definitely the useless uniparty tool McCabe………..”
Prove it.
I agree that Reggie is McCabe. I’ve seen him in action enough on social media to recognize the tone and his use of various IDs to hide who he is. I also agree that constituents deserve better than a total sellout and fake republican who does not belong in office. I saw on Facebook earlier this week that he’s been using artificial intelligence to write his Substack essays. Makes sense considering his lack of natural intelligence. Judging by the comments there, lots of people are tired of him.
“……..RINO Kevin Mccabe, the PFD thief………”
The Legislature is in session. The governor has proposed the largest PFD ever, which even creates a $1.5 billion deficit, Mr. Supposed Conservative.
Let’s see who kills it……………..
Hi Mark (the bald coward) Kelsey!
thanks👍
The way you’re being so emotional about this explains to me the mind set of those behind failing projects like this.
Take your statement and stick it up your own ass. You’re too stupid to realize the bigger picture. Moron
It really is.
“……….An apt metaphor……….”
Here’s another: electric cars sinking brand new ships:
https://shipwrecklog.com/log/2025/06/morning-midas/
Illustrates a lot of things. How dangerous drilling is just in general. That mistakes and problems and disasters happen more often than we realize. That the the retrieval of oil is in extremely challenging when it comes to engineering. Reminds me of the whole Shell/ Offshore Drilling/ Kulluck grounding, the Exxon oil spill. The people in this industry deserve a lot of respect, they do heroic stuff daily. That our addiction to oil and burning small petroleum molecules is toxic to our planet, and that the move to renewables and electric is appopriate. That climate change is real, that science… Read more »
“…our addiction to oil and burning small petroleum molecules is toxic to our planet, and the move to renewables and electric is appropriate…” so do you have the actual solution on how to implement the much safer and more correct eco-friendly system of renewables and electric to the scale needed that O&G has always been able to sustain or is it just point fingers at O&G and say we need to do it better?
No, I do not. And I trust experts and professionals. Whether I have solutions or not really doesn’t matter. Were you trying to make a point?
Unless you’re an expert environmentalist or high-up government scientist, of course, you don’t have any solutions, I knew that. The point is, you would think someone like you making the comment you did would have someone/something in mind to point to as the alternative, not just make a based comment that you know will gain a lot of upvotes from fellow sheeple and leave it at that but oh well…
The solution has been around for a while, but people are kept afraid of it by PR. I wonder who pays?
Any proof to cite of this claim? I’ll bite if it’s legit, saying it is so ain’t enough though, you know.
I’m sorry, did the previous poster not do enough oil company butt-sucking to your liking? I work in the auto industry & am happy to have a job paying above median wage, but you won’t see me leaping to defend the worst aspects of what is certainly a dying segment of a field that employs millions. If anything, I’m concerned for how the tech barons will monopolize mobility when we do move away from petro fuel. Minerals will still be needed for storage solutions regardless, and land rights will be shifted and taken advantage of. AI data centers already have… Read more »
“……… I’m concerned for how the tech barons will monopolize mobility when we do move away from petro fuel……….”
You’ll be long dead before EVs replace ICEs in a sub-arctic environment like Alaska. Don’t believe their bullshit. It ain’t happening any time soon, regardless of how hard they push.
-A Stupid Person
-Gridserve, February 25, 2025
“……..In 2024, electric vehicles in Norway accounted for 88.9% of new cars sold – up from 82% in 2023, according to the Norwegian Road Federation……….” 1) Every time somebody asks why Alaska doesn’t have as many moose as Sweden, he’s told that Alaska isn’t Sweden. Well, Alaska isn’t Norway, either. 2) “New Cars Sold” doesn’t mean cars effectively going down the road. I’m betting the Norwegians have some big surprises coming………. 3) Norway’s electric generation is over 90% hydroelectric. Translated = True “renewable”. So tell us, Las Vegas (hydroelectric) resident: do you support the Watana Dam, or are you like… Read more »
-A Stupid Person
-Gridserve, February 25, 2025
“……..In 2024, electric vehicles in Norway accounted for 88.9% of new cars sold……..” “New Cars Sold” is a really fun factoid, but EVs account for @ 30% of automobiles in Norway. That means that 70% of existing vehicles in Norway are still ICE. The vast majority of EVs purchased in Norway are Tesla Model Y’s. Their range (@ 315 miles) is reduced 20%-50% in winter, depending on temperature. That means a range of 158-250 miles. You’d be taking a chance of not making it on a trip from Anchorage to Glennallen in winter. You would not make it to Fairbanks.… Read more »
“…….. EVs account for @ 30% of automobiles in Norway. That means that 70% of existing vehicles in Norway are still ICE……….”
EVs make up just 2.1% of vehicles in the U.S.
Alaska? Less than 1%.
“………In 2024, electric vehicles in Norway accounted for 88.9% of new cars sold – up from 82% in 2023, according to the Norwegian Road Federation………” AI says: “Norway’s EV incentives have historically been extensive, including VAT/purchase tax exemptions, free parking, bus lane access, and toll/ferry discounts, making EVs cheaper than gasoline cars, though some benefits are being scaled back as adoption grows, with new rules phasing in VAT on higher-priced EVs and applying charges to tolls/ferries, while higher taxes on combustion cars remain a key driver. Key Incentives (Past & Present) Purchase/VAT Tax: Historically, full exemption from 25% VAT and registration taxes,… Read more »
California law, specifically the Advanced Clean Cars II regulation, requires 100% of new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold in the state to be zero-emission vehicles by 2035. The mandate begins with 35% of 2026 model year vehicles and increases annually. Currently, only 3.85% of vehicles registered in California are EVs.
They have a long, long way to go before they ban ICE vehicles, even in California (Fantasyland)……………
Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Nothing could be more beautiful than this perfect example of the party/political persuasion that is in a continual state of confliction and hypocrisy – another deranged lunatic vocerociously advocating for a utopia through govt. policy that can never be achieved all while still using an electronic item to comment on here with (that was mined) and driving in an O&G powered car… absolutely spectacular!
Typical climate denier response. “You say fossil fuels are based for the environment? Now single handedly tell me in detail all the requirements for completely overhauling the entire global energy sector, what energy source is best for every different region on the planet, the cost benefit analysis for each, the safety of the energy sources mentioned, how much of each energy source to implement, from where and when, how much and so it in a way that matches or surpasses current fossil fuel energy.”The transition is a decades long process involving smart people from almost every sector on earth, including… Read more »
*Problem Presented*
The Original Comment: Well the way we’ve always done this doesn’t appear to be working those other people speaking up on it were right, we need to change the way we do this!
*Me in geuine interest and wonder as I made the comment*
Me: Well what exactly is that alternative that you and others have been talking about forever, in detail? How would it work?
*Gets berated by you and others as a radical for asking a question*
See the problem with our country now?
“……….See the problem with our country now?……….”
It has been pretty obvious since Watergate. It isn’t the climate or technology. It’s the lawyers trying to force the engineers to make the world into what the lawyers demand, regardless of reality.
What is a woman?
If he can answer that honestly, I’ll legitimately move myself 10 steps closer to his side of the aisle regarding the environmental discussion – let’s see if he takes it!
Oxford Dictionary:
“………an adult female human being……….”
And, because there appears to be plenty of confusion (or denial), “female”:
“……….of or denoting the sex that can bear offspring or produce eggs, distinguished biologically by the production of gametes (ova) that can be fertilized by male gametes………..”
So, ‘can a man get pregnant’?……….
TIMBER!!
This is crazy this happen somebody must got answers on this.Now drilling is off map for this year.The cost get new one not cheap.
Climate change, wait, global warming, dang, environmental terrorist, whatever you call your selves these days crack me up… Gotta love all of your posts… LOL!
If youve ever been involved in ice road construction and seen the resulting rig move in person,you’d be in awe.Whole lotta planning and logistics. I dont know if it was D26, but i watched the rig move off PT Thompson when they demobed the pad before expansion. Theres a small train of semis + trailored equipment if necessary(think D-10’s to push trailer up the slightest grade). Im 100% for alternative energy being added to the mix. But anybody that thinks the slope or arctic canada,and the other few arctic countries is going EV soon doesnt understand the current limitations of… Read more »
Speed kills. Clearly wreckless operation, unable to maintain control of vehicle. To bad they couldn’t have someone out marking the edge of the roadway at those blistering speeds.