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.
