Yukon Flats Exploration

When Doyon, Limited was established, early leaders and village leaders focused on selecting lands for local and traditional uses, historical-cultural sites, and sites with economic potential through natural resource development that could provide employment, training, and contracting for villages and Doyon.

Doyon’s early leaders, in partnership with the leadership of Beaver, Birch Creek, Chalkyitsik, Circle, and Fort Yukon, focused on allocating 400,000 plus acres of Doyon’s land entitlement within the Yukon Flats region for oil and gas potential that had been identified in the 1970s. Land agreements were signed to focus on providing this benefit and to accommodate more local land use for the project. The specific land types in this allocation were lands that could have been equally distributed to all Doyon villages throughout the Interior – making collaboration integral to the partnership.

To continue building on over 50 years of history, in 2019, Doyon and Hilcorp Alaska signed an agreement for exploration for an area of over 1.6 million acres of Doyon land in the Yukon Flats subregion.

From 2019 to 2024, exploration tests and surveys were completed while adhering to the strict environmental regulations as well as timing restrictions negotiated by Doyon regarding subsistence activities. Of the initial exploration area, roughly only 3% (or less than 60,000 acres) was selected by Hilcorp for continued exploration. In the 2025 season, Hilcorp drilled a test well to a depth of 8,220 feet using a custom-built rig operated by Doyon Drilling, Inc. During the 2026 season, Hilcorp completed post-drilling activities, including the planned plugging and abandonment of the test well.

The exploration project provided meaningful data that will contribute to the ongoing geological understanding of the Yukon Flats and will help inform potential future development efforts. Throughout the project, Doyon worked with Hilcorp to ensure no limitations on subsistence activities for shareholders near the project sites. Future plans in the Yukon Flats are under review and will be held to the same high standard.

Economic Benefits and Job Opportunities

The Yukon Flats Exploration Project took place with growing support in the region, including Birch Creek, the community immediately adjacent to the project, and from Alaska Native leaders across the state. The project represented an important step for enhancing Alaska Native self-determination – by strengthening the economy of the region and allowing us to invest in our communities, including support for our schools, health care, infrastructure, and more.

The project delivered several tangible opportunities for shareholders:

Shareholders were hired by Fairweather and DDI for a wide range of exploration and support positions on the project in Birch Creek.
An additional seven shareholders completed Fairweather’s Bear Guard Training held in Fort Yukon.
The project furthermore sparked a number of investments in our communities’ physical and social infrastructure.

Future development in the region will additionally provide us with the revenues needed to preserve our cultures and communities. The preservation of Alaska Native languages, traditions, and cultural practices is crucial to sustaining our communities and future generations. 

Hiring Update:

All hiring for the project is complete. Doyon will prioritize shareholder employment when opportunities arise for future development in the region.

History of the Yukon Flats exploration

Doyon’s interest in oil and gas in the subregion predates the selection of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971 lands in the area. In 1974, only two years after its incorporation, Doyon signed a series of land selection agreements among Birch Creek, Beaver, Chalkyitsik, Circle, and Fort Yukon village corporations to maximize land selections. These agreements resulted in 400,000 extra acres of ANCSA lands in the Yukon Flats.

These agreements were signed for potential oil and gas opportunities and to provide additional Native land for traditional activities. The purpose of these agreements was to maximize economic benefits from the oil and gas industry and prioritize additional private land base for traditional subsistence activities.

Our early leadership made thoughtful land selections guided by an understanding of resource potential, traditional use, and community needs. These selections were rooted in creating jobs, supporting regional economies, and ensuring long-term benefits for Doyon and our village corporations through responsible natural resource management. This foundation has positioned us to capitalize on today’s opportunities.

To view or download a timeline from the 1970s to today, and to learn more about the Yukon Flats Exploration Project, click  here.

Future Exploration processes

Future development opportunities may be pursued by Hilcorp or another operator as opportunities allow. These development opportunities help us enhance Alaska Native self-determination and provide critical opportunities and resources for our shareholders.

All exploration in the Yukon Flats operates under some of the strictest regulations in the country. As we saw throughout the Yukon Flats Exploration Project, state and federal agencies — and Doyon — ensure robust contingency planning, minimal environmental and subsistence impacts, and a transparent process.

Doyon remains focused on balancing responsible resource development and protecting the resources our people rely on.

Doyon will continue to engage our shareholders and share information as plans evolve, and will continue providing updates across multiple channels (including community visits, regular meetings with village leadership, and updates in the Doyon ShareholderNewsletter).

Environmental Standards and Permitting Processes

Doyon’s mission is to balance the social and economic well-being of our shareholders while also protecting and enhancing our lands and resources for generations to come. From subsistence to our salmon, Doyon has a responsibility to care for the lands. We are committed to this mission and note that this project was intentionally built away from wetlands or tributaries to ensure that we protect our waters. Any future development will follow suit.

Alaska and the U.S. have among the most stringent resource development environmental standards in the world, and development only occurs after rigorous permitting and studies that ensure minimal impact to the environment.

In accordance with state and federal regulations, Hilcorp stored water used for operations on the project, along with used mud and cuttings, in tanks on-site and then transported offsite for disposal. No contamination was discharged into Yukon Flats waterways. 

The Yukon Flats Exploration Project proceeded with all necessary permits in compliance with state and federal regulations for the project. The agencies engaged in the permitting process included:

  Federal Permitting: 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) 
State Historic Properties Office (SHPO) 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

State Permitting:

Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR) 
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) 
Fish Habitat Permits 
Public Safety Permit and Wildlife Interaction Plan 
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation 
Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (AOGCC) 
Alaska Department of Public Safety

Land Composition

Sedimentary basins like those found within Doyon lands are closely linked with potential oil and gas deposits. Doyon manages under-explored basins with the potential for major fields, including the Minto-Nenana Basin and the Yukon Flats Basin.

Decades of data gathering, seismic surveys, analyses of the lands, exploration programs, and more have occurred.

The work sites of the Yukon Flats Exploration Project are located in the Yukon Flats subregion of Interior Alaska, about 150 miles north of Fairbanks and 25 to 90 miles from existing roads and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.

Click  here to view or download information about the land composition of the project and data gathering efforts over the decades.

Wildfire Management in the yukon flats

Doyon works closely with the Alaska Fire Service (AFS) to monitor and respond to wildfires across the Yukon Flats region. Each summer, Doyon submits key site locations – including cultural sites, exploration areas, carbon monitoring plots, and other zones with human activity – to AFS for inclusion in its “Known Database.” This system helps prioritize fire response across ANCSA lands, with Doyon and village corporation lands represented as a distinct layer. When a wildfire poses a threat to any of these known locations, the Fire Management Officer for the affected zone contacts Doyon’s Lands and Natural Resources Department to discuss fire conditions and response options. Throughout the fire season, AFS continues to monitor activity near project areas and provides Doyon with timely updates to ensure the safety of people, resources, and land. 

During fire season, Doyon staff are on call 24/7 to respond to the Alaska Fire Service and help facilitate communication between the fire service and village corporations and tribes. Read more about Doyon’s efforts  here. 