US Edition
First lease sale in Alaska petroleum reserve in years draws strong interest despite pending lawsuits
The record $163 million lease sale attracted 430 bids for 1.3 million acres, signaling strong industry confidence despite ongoing legal challenges and environmental concerns.
- On Wednesday, the U.S. government held its most successful sale ever of oil and gas drilling rights in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, attracting $163 million in winning bids from major industry players.
- Fulfilling a mandate from President Donald Trump, the sale marks the first since 2019 and reverses previous Biden-era restrictions on drilling in the region.
- Companies submitted 430 bids across 1.3 million acres, with major participants including Repsol and Shell helping the total surpass the previous 1999 record of $104 million.
- Rosemary Ahtuangaruak of Grandmothers Growing Goodness criticized the sale, stating "For us, caribou aren't expendable; they are central to our subsistence, culture, and food security." A Monday court ruling by District Court Judge Sharon Gleason could affect some bids.
- Revenue from the sale is split 50-50 between the federal government and Alaska, though Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy's proposal to shift the state's portion toward the Permanent Fund may trigger legal battles over fund usage.
34 Articles
34 Articles
Buoyed by big projects and a big lease sale, Alaska oil companies project optimism • Washington State Standard
An oil rig engaged in winter exploration at ConocoPhillips' Willow project is seen in 2019. The Willow project is in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska and expected to begin production in 2029, accoording to the company. Willow production is expected to peak at 180,000 barrels per day. The company is devoting $8.5 billion to $9 billion to Willow, a company official said on Thursday. (Photo provided by ConocoPhillips)Representatives of majo…
$164M: Auction for drilling rights in Alaska's Arctic sets new records
The maps shows where companies bid in the 2026 NPR-A lease sale. ConocoPhillips was the high bidder on 30 tracts, shown in dark blue. Previously leased areas are shown in lavender. (BLM) An auction of drilling rights in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska broke records Wednesday, suggesting that the oil and gas industry is keenly interested in expanding in the U.S. Arctic. Kevin Pendergast, Alaska director of the Bureau of Land Management, ann…
Alaska Oil Lease Sale Draws 430 Bids, Nets Record $163.7 Million in Revenue
The U.S. Department of Interior’s first oil lease sale in the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska since 2019 drew more than 430 bids during a March 18 auction that netted $163.7 million. It was a record amount for a federal public lands lease sale. At least 10 companies participated in the hours’ long auction, bidding on tracts that span 1.3 million acres of the 5.5 million acres the Trump administration has opened to oil and gas exploration on th…
Arctic Alaska oil and gas lease sale draws record bidding, despite legal clouds
Two animals in the Teshekpuk Caribou Herd are seen on June 27, 2014, in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. A right-of-way agreement reinstated through a federal court order protects the Teshekpuk Lake area and the habitat used by the caribou herd named for the lake. But in an oil and gas lease sale, the Trump administration auctioned off tracts in that right-of-way area nonetheless. (Photo by Bob Wick/U.S. Bureau of Land Management)A cont…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 42% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
