However, the tracks are long and wide, spreading the pressure over a large area . . . Onshore exploration is conducted only in the winter. We use ice roads to move drilling rigs, camps, men and material to remote locations. We build ice roads with water from lakes chosen with the assistance of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The volume taken from each lake is determined based on water depth and whether a lake contains fish.
Ice roads are generally six inches thick.
It's not unusual for us to build 60 to 70 miles of ice road a year to support remote drilling operations. In the spring, these ice roads simply melt away. On the cover is a drilling rig. A drilling rig weighs several million pounds and is moved to its location via ice road. The rig is set on an ice pad more than 12 inches thick.