Aerial photo of the tundra and rivers of the Northeast National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.

National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska

Land status map of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska showing Federal and Alaska Native lands.

Formerly known as Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4, the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) is now a vast approximately 23-million-acre area on Alaska's North Slope. In 1923, mindful of the land's conceivable petroleum value, President Harding set aside this area as an emergency oil supply for the U.S. Navy. In 1976, in accordance with the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act, administration of the reserve was transferred to the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and renamed the NPR-A.

Oil and Gas Leasing in the NPR-A

Oil and gas leasing in the NPR-A is authorized under the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C.6501 et seq.), as amended including the The Department of the Interior Appropriations Act of 1981 (94 Stat. 2964). Regulations for NPR-A oil and gas leasing, exploration and operations are found in 43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Parts 3130, 3150, 3160, respectively. The Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended and supplemented (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) and related regulations do not apply to leasing in the NPR-A.

Current lease sale information is available on the Alaska Oil and Gas Leasing page. Additional information on the current status of oil and gas leases in the NPR-A can be accessed using the links below. 

Pending and Approved Applications for Permit to Drill (APDs) & Notices of Staking (NOSs)

Pending Applications for Permit to Drill (APDs) & Notices of Staking (NOSs) for the NPR-A can be viewed at the Automated Fluid Minerals Support System Reports. Permit to Drill and Notices of Staking have been filed on federal leases in Alaska. In accordance with 43 CFR 3162.3-1(g), Notices of Staking and/or Application for Permit to Drill are posted for 30 days in the BLM Alaska State Office Public Room, 1st Floor, Federal Building.