Trump administration moves to roll back Biden-era rule limiting NPR-A leasing
The US Interior Department proposed June 2 to reverse a Biden administration rule that put nearly half of NPR-A’s 23 million acres off limits to new oil and gas leasing.
Rescinding the 2024 rule will “eliminate roadblocks to responsible energy production,” Interior said in a statement.
It added that, after review, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which manages NPR-A, concluded that the previous administration rule overstepped the agency’s authority under the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 and conflicted with the Act’s purpose.
“Congress was clear: the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska was set aside to support America’s energy security through responsible development,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
The Biden administration effectively banned new oil and gas development on 13.3 million acres in the NPR-A on Alaska’s North Slope in April 2024 by designating them as “special areas” requiring operators to prove minimal or no adverse effects on surface resources (OGJ Online, Apr. 19, 2024).
At the time, BLM said the majority of the area closed to oil and gas drilling had medium or low potential for discovery or development of oil and gas resources.
Interior will publish the proposed rule in the Federal Register, opening it to 60 days of public comment.
Cathy Landry | Washington Correspondent
Cathy Landry has worked over 20 years as a journalist, including 17 years as an energy reporter with Platts News Service (now S&P Global) in Washington and London.
She has served as a wire-service reporter, general news and sports reporter for local newspapers and a feature writer for association and company publications.
Cathy has deep public policy experience, having worked 15 years in Washington energy circles.
She earned a master’s degree in government from The Johns Hopkins University and studied newspaper journalism and psychology at Syracuse University.