Trump auctions off rights to drill in Alaska wildlife refuge, but gets few bidders
The sale drew $3.7 million in winning bids as only 5 of nearly 690,000 acres offered received bids, officials said.
- The Bureau of Land Management sold five Arctic National Wildlife Refuge tracts on Friday for $3.7 million, with the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority winning three and Hex Energy LLC securing two covering about 72,000 acres.
- President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill, passed by Congress last year, mandated lease sales across three Alaska regions to open more lands for potential oil drilling and development.
- Nearly 690,000 acres had been offered for lease in the Arctic refuge and related areas. The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority's board last month authorized seismic surveys and lease purchases despite no active drilling underway.
- Voice of the Arctic, an Alaska Native advocacy group, hailed the sale as advancing self-determination, while the Gwich people stated the coastal plain 'will be irreversibly damaged if it is disturbed.'
- Geological Survey estimates indicate the coastal plain could contain 4.25 billion to 11.8 billion barrels of recoverable oil. Bureau state director Kevin Pendergast said a 'new era of active leasing and exploration is just beginning to unfold.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Controversial oil lease sale in Alaska wildlife refuge draws limited interest
The Canning River, seen here in 2018, flows from the Brooks Range into the Beaufort Sea along the western edge of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The river marks the boundary between the refuge, which is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and state land on the North Slope. Results of an oil lease sale that offered 58 tracts in the refuge's coastal plan drew bids on five tracts. The highest-dollar bid was for a tract right at the…
Oil Companies Skip Auction of Leases for Alaskan Refuge
The Trump administration's latest attempt to encourage drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge landed with a thud on Friday. An oil lease auction for part of the 19.3 million-acre refuge drew just two bidders—neither a major oil company—that together committed $3.7 million for five tracts...
Limited interest in latest oil and gas lease sale for Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Two corporations bid on a handful of leases during the latest oil and gas lease sale in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on Friday, a showing critics described as tepid but one that further opens the door to possible development in the pristine region.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 52% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
