U.S. government to unlock 13 million acres in Alaska for mining and drilling operations
Energy Secretary Chris Wright spills the beans on how the Trump administration is speeding up energy projects and bringing back good ol' common sense to appliance regulations on "FOX Business in Depth: Reenergizing America."
The Trump administration is eyeing the opening of millions of acres in Alaska for new oil and gas projects by reversing a Biden-era rule. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum thinks that this rule prioritized obstruction over production[2][3][4].
This announcement comes after the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) had expanded procedural requirements and created a bias against oil and gas activities in approximately 13 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska back in 2024[2][5]. These areas were labeled as "Special Areas," and operators were expected to prove minimal or no adverse effects on surface resources to carry out drilling[2].
The BLM describes the reserve as a "somewhat massive, roughly 23-million-acre area on Alaska's North Slope" that President Harding set aside back in 1923 as an "emergency oil supply for the U.S. Navy" and was later managed by the BLM[5].
"Congress was clear: the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska was set aside to support America's energy security through responsible development." Burgum shared in a statement. "The 2024 rule ignored that mandate, prioritizing obstruction over production, and undermining our ability to harness domestic resources at a time when American energy independence has never been more important. We're putting things back where they belong and getting our energy future on track."
*CONOCOPHILLIPS SUES BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OVER ALASKA DRILLING RESTRICTIONS*
Part of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System slices through a boreal forest past the Alaska Range mountains in May 2023, near Delta Junction, Alaska. This 800-mile-long pipeline carries oil from the North Slope in Prudhoe Bay to the port of Valdez[6].
Back in April, the BLM stated that the rule "codifies protections for 13.3 million acres encompassed by the existing Special Areas, limiting future oil and gas leasing and industrial development in the Teshekpuk Lake, Utukok Uplands, Colville River, Kasegaluk Lagoon, and Peard Bay Special Areas - places known for their globally significant intact habitat for wildlife, including grizzly and polar bears, caribou, and hundreds of thousands of migratory birds."
The same month, then-President Joe Biden stated, "These natural wonders demand our protection, and I am proud that my Administration is taking action to conserve more than 13 million acres in the Western Arctic and to honor the culture, history, and enduring wisdom of Alaska Natives who have lived on and stewarded these lands since time immemorial."
However, the Department of the Interior announced this week that, following a "thorough legal and policy review," BLM officials concluded the rule "exceeds the agency's statutory authority under the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976, conflicts with the Act's purpose, and imposes unnecessary barriers to responsible energy development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska."
The Department of the Interior stated that the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act "mandates an 'expeditious program of competitive leasing' while balancing the protection of surface resources."
"Rescinding the 2024 rule will remove regulations that are inconsistent with the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976, restore the original intent of the Act for the management of the area, and eliminate roadblocks to responsible energy production," the Department added.
The vast National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska[5].
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"Under the proposed rule rescission, the BLM would revert to the regulations that were in place prior to May 7, 2024, which have long guided responsible development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska while incorporating protections for wildlife, subsistence, and surface values through the Integrated Activity Plan process," the Department of the Interior also mentioned.
The Trump administration is not only speeding up energy projects but also aims to make the US a powerhouse in oil-and-gas industries by opening millions of acres in Alaska for new oil and gas projects, as stated by Energy Secretary Chris Wright. This move is a reversal of a Biden-era rule that prioritized obstruction over production in the oil-and-gas industry, according to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. The rescission of the 2024 rule by the Biden administration is expected to remove regulations that are inconsistent with the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976, restore the original intent of the Act for the management of the area, and eliminate roadblocks to responsible energy production in the oil-and-gas sector.
