US BLM to offer 400,000 acres for oil and gas leasing under ANWR’s coastal plain in June
The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will offer oil and gas leases on 400,000 acres under the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)’s coastal plain on June 5, the first in a series of at least four sales required under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which the Trump administration now calls the Working Families Tax Cut act.
Recent attempts to lease land for oil and gas development in the 1.5-million-acre coastal plain (the "1002 Area") of ANWR have generated little interest, with the most recent federal lease sale in January 2025 yielding zero bids and no revenue for federal or state taxpayers. This sale was the second auction mandated by another bill, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The first sale under that law, held in January 2021, offered 1.1 million acres but yielded only $14.4 million in high bids, less than 1% of the roughly $1 billion originally estimated.
BLM noted, however, that a recent federal lease sale in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska generated strong participation, which could portend a stronger showing for the upcoming ANWR sale. “The record-breaking success of last month’s lease sale in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve sent a clear signal: There is robust and continuing demand for Alaskan energy, underscoring the need for more opportunities like the Coastal Plain sale,” Acting BLM Director Bill Groffy said in a statement. “By expanding these opportunities, we strengthen our national energy security, support high-paying jobs for Alaskans, and help ensure Americans have access to affordable energy.”
The Mar. 18 NPR-A sale resulted in 187 leases and $163.7 million in total receipts.
Oil and gas development in ANWR remains contentious because of its ecologically sensitive environment and ongoing lawsuits from indigenous groups and environmental organizations. Majors, including ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and bp have left the area or signaled little interest due to the legal challenges and lack of infrastructure to move oil and gas to markets.
BLM said it would publish a sales notice in the Federal Register Apr. 20. All bids are due June 3, with opening and reading of the bids slated for June 5.
About the Author
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.