BLM Announces November NPR-A Oil & Gas Lease Sale
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As part of President Obama’s effort to increase safe and responsible domestic oil production, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced today that it will hold an oil and gas lease sale for the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) on Wednesday, November 19, in Anchorage.
The lease sale, the fourth since the President directed the Secretary of the Interior in 2011 to conduct annual oil and gas lease sales in the NPR-A, includes 270 tracts that cover about 3 million acres. The Notice of Sale will be published in tomorrow’s Federal Register.
“The November sale is in line with the Administration’s commitment to expand domestic energy production,” said BLM Director Neil Kornze, who attended and opened last year’s NPR-A sale. “The BLM has taken a balanced approach to development in the NPR-A to ensure that future production is done safely and responsibly while protecting the subsistence resources of Alaska Natives and the habitat of world-class wildlife populations.”
Since 1999, nine previous lease sales have generated more than $263 million. Currently, 207 authorized leases cover more than 1.75 million acres. Tracts available for lease are consistent with the NPR-A Integrated Activity Plan finalized in February 2013.
The BLM, which sought public input on tract nominations for lands in the NPR-A planning areas that are not currently leased or deferred from leasing, made its selections based on an evaluation of the comments received; natural resource information; resource potential; industry interest; and subsistence values. The comment period ran from June 3, 2014, through July 18, 2014.
To date, only exploratory drilling has occurred within the NPR-A. ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc., currently is pursuing a right-of-way grant and related authorizations to support development of petroleum resources at the Greater Mooses Tooth Unit. This project would facilitate the first production of oil from federal lands within the NPR-A.
The BLM will open sealed bids at 1 p.m. in the Anchorage Federal Office Building, 4th floor, Denali Room, 222 W. 7th Ave. Additional information on this lease sale can be found at www.blm.gov/ak.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.