ConocoPhillips tests new ERJ-145 shuttle from Houston as Permian Basin operations ramp up

ConocoPhillips flew its Embraer ERJ-145XR (N284CP) on a brief local hop from Houston Bush Intercontinental on June 5, climbing only to 2,800 feet before returning to base. The flight, likely a check ride or positioning move, comes just weeks after the aircraft was delivered and entered service for the company's employee shuttle network, per ch-aviation.

The same week, ConocoPhillips continues to ramp up operations in the Permian Basin and Alaska, where the massive Willow project recently hit the 50% completion mark, according to the company's Q1 earnings call. The new shuttle, based at Houston Intercontinental, will serve Midland, Carlsbad, Bartlesville, and Williston Basin International — key hubs for the company's Lower 48 workforce.

While this particular flight stayed close to home, it signals the steady integration of N284CP into ConocoPhillips' aviation fleet. The aircraft joins three De Havilland Q400s and smaller Twin Otters already shuttling employees to Alaska's North Slope, as the company balances domestic field work with the ongoing challenges of curtailed Qatar production and global LNG tightness.