ALASKA OIL AND GAS LEASE SALES
BLM manages more than 22 million acres of surface estate plus the subsurface mineral rights to an additional ~650,000 acres in the ~23 million-acre NPR-A.
The BLM generally conducts annual oil and gas lease sales in the NPR-A. In May 1999, the BLM held its first NPR-A lease sale since 1984, offering nearly 3.9 million acres within the Northeast Planning Area. Since 1999, the BLM has held lease sales in both the Northwest (NW) and Northeast (NE) Planning Areas. A February 2013 Record of Decision opened tracts for leasing in the southern NPR-A, and tracts in the far west were created after a 2014 deferral expired.
Pending a Record of Decision, a new NPR-A Integrated Activity Plan will better balance protection of the environment, wildlife, subsistence uses, local concerns, and oil and gas opportunities offered in future lease sales.
The 1,563,500-acre Coastal Plain is highly prospective for oil and gas resources, estimated to contain between 4.25 and 11.8 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil. The entire oil program area will be made available to oil and gas leasing subject to applicable lease stipulations and required operating procedures.
The BLM’s first lease sale in the Coastal Plain will occur prior to December 22, 2021 and offer at least 400,000 acres of high-potential hydrocarbon lands for bid as required by the 2017 Tax Act (Public Law 115-97). The act directs the BLM to conduct two such sales by 2024 to be managed similar to the administration of lease sales under the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 (including regulations).
Leasing is pursuant to a Record of Decision for the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Any future oil and gas development actions will require a separate detailed environmental analysis.
View current and recent oil and gas lease sale notices and results below.
