DEADHORSE, Alaska — President Donald Trump has set forth a vision to significantly increase Alaska’s oil production and establish a substantial natural gas project to complement it. This ambitious plan was outlined during a visit to a major oil field near the Arctic Ocean by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and other Trump administration officials, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
The delegation’s visit, part of a longer tour emphasizing Trump’s commitment to expanding resource extraction activities in Alaska, comes amid opposition from environmentalists who decry the potential ecological impacts. During the visit, the Interior Department announced its intention to rescind previous restrictions imposed during the Biden administration, which limited leasing and industrial activities in parts of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska due to concerns over wildlife and traditional subsistence practices.
This petroleum reserve is situated west of Prudhoe Bay, near the start of the 800-mile trans-Alaska pipeline. For decades, this pipeline has been crucial to Alaska’s economy. Currently, collaborative discussions are underway with representatives from several Asian nations, such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines. The aim is to revisit a gas project proposal that would supply gas to Alaska while exporting liquefied natural gas internationally. Such dialogue is viewed as a strategic move to attract overseas investment.
Challenges have historically plagued this gas project, with concerns regarding economic viability, project costs, and market competition slowing progress. However, current U.S. trade discussions with Asian countries offer potential leverage for advancing the project.
Speaking to attendees, including industry executives and pipeline workers, Wright emphasized the global demand for oil and natural gas, suggesting that doubling oil production and investing in a new infrastructure project could bolster both U.S. energy independence and economic strength. “Let’s double oil production, build the big, beautiful twin, and we will help energize the world,” he remarked against a backdrop of the vast pipeline extending across snow-laden terrain.
Historically, oil throughput from the trans-Alaska pipeline peaked at around two million barrels in the late 1980s. Despite previous targets set to elevate production to one million barrels daily, actual figures have dwindled. Average daily flows have decreased significantly, with numbers as low as 465,000 barrels in recent years.
Joining the Trump administration officials were U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and Governor Mike Dunleavy, who were also involved in meetings held in Anchorage and Utqiagvik. In the Arctic community of Utqiagvik, enjoying perpetual daylight this time of year, Trump’s propositions for increased drilling drew support from numerous Alaska Native leaders feeling previously marginalized by Biden’s policies.
Alaska’s political elite often criticize what they perceive as federal overreach, given that the U.S. government oversees a major portion of the state’s land. Alaskan figures like Sullivan and Senator Lisa Murkowski, while occasionally critiquing Trump, acknowledged wanting a collaborative rather than adversarial relationship with federal authorities.
In contrast, environmentalists condemned the decision to roll back restrictions, arguing that Congress intended the law to strike a balance between resource extraction and environmental stewardship. They voiced concerns that easing restrictions neglected necessary protections for sensitive areas, denouncing the administration’s priorities.
With climate change impacts becoming more evident in Alaska, groups like Earthjustice expressed deep concern over continued fossil fuel investments, describing such efforts as short-sighted. Meanwhile, the Interior Department is open to public feedback on its path forward.
Further discussions are anticipated as the three officials are scheduled to address Governor Dunleavy’s annual energy conference in Anchorage.