Juneau, Alaska — The Biden administration has granted approval for an oil and gas lease sale in Alaska, potentially allowing drilling activities in part of the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This sale is scheduled for January 9, coming just prior to President Joe Biden’s departure from office. It involves a significantly smaller area compared to the bidding opportunities available approximately four years ago during a similar sale under the Trump administration.
During his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump promised to broaden oil drilling across the United States, highlighting the 2017 legislation that paved the way for this current lease sale. The law required two leasing events to be conducted by late 2024, yet major oil corporations opted out of participating in the initial sale, leading the Biden administration to reassess the leasing program. Ultimately, seven leases from that first round were rescinded.
However, the question remains: Will drilling actually take place in the refuge? The answer is uncertain. A lease sale is just the initial phase in a lengthy procedure that frequently encounters legal challenges. Lawsuits concerning the first lease sale are ongoing, and environmental advocates have pledged to litigate further to prevent drilling in this sensitive area.
Additionally, the Biden administration’s approval of the Willow oil project within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, located west of the refuge, is still entangled in legal matters nearly two years after it was authorized. Meanwhile, the company overseeing the Willow project, ConocoPhillips Alaska, continues its operations.
Following the issuance of any leases for the refuge, plans for exploration or development would need to undergo a thorough environmental assessment as stated by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
The legislation specifies lease sales in the coastal plain of the refuge, which spans approximately 1.5 million acres (over 6 million hectares) bordering the Beaufort Sea. This coastal area represents only a small fraction of the overall refuge, which showcases diverse landscapes and serves as a habitat for numerous species, including polar bears, caribou, musk oxen, and various birds. The debate surrounding the potential for drilling in this coastal plain has persisted for decades.
For Indigenous Gwich’in leaders, the coastal plain is revered as sacred land critical for caribou calving, which their community depends on. Contrastingly, some leaders from the Iñupiaq community in Kaktovik, located within the refuge, support drilling initiatives.
According to the Bureau of Land Management, the area designated for lease next month aims to minimize surface disturbance and steer clear of important polar bear dens and key caribou calving sites, encompassing around 400,000 acres (nearly 162,000 hectares)—the least amount required by the 2017 legislation. This is significantly less than the approximately 1.1 million acres (4.4 million hectares) offered in the initial sale.
In the first sale round, nearly 553,000 acres (approximately 224,000 hectares) received bids, yet two leases were relinquished by smaller companies amid ongoing legal disputes and uncertainties related to the drilling program. The Biden administration canceled seven leases acquired by a state corporation, and litigation regarding these cancellations is currently in progress.
Looking ahead, Erik Grafe, an attorney from Earthjustice involved in legal efforts concerning the refuge, stated that his organization is prepared to litigate “as often as necessary” in order to safeguard the area from oil drilling activities.
Numerous environmentalists and climate experts advocate for the gradual phase-out of fossil fuels to mitigate severe consequences of climate change. Although the Bureau of Land Management estimates that the coastal plain could possess recoverable oil reserves ranging from 4.25 billion to 11.8 billion barrels, little information is available concerning the actual quality and quantity of the oil present.
Supporters of drilling, including certain Alaska political figures, have expressed dissatisfaction with the limitations imposed on the upcoming lease sale. They are optimistic about a change in direction should Trump return to office. Nagruk Harcharek, president of Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat, an advocacy organization representing Alaska North Slope leaders, criticized the scope of the new lease sale. He called it “a calculated move by the Biden administration’s Interior Department to undermine the developmental potential” within the refuge, asserting that it contradicts the desires of North Slope Iñupiat, especially those from Kaktovik.
