Policy & Issues

The National Petroleum Reserve- Alaska (NPR-A) was set aside by Congress specifically for petroleum development. However, the Department of the Interior’s new federal rule could potentially halt any future oil and gas developments in the NPR-A by restricting energy development in 13 million acres of the petroleum reserve. What’s more, the Department of the Interior did not consult with Alaska’s Federally recognized tribes, the local government on the North Slope or Alaska Native corporations before proposing the rule.

This new Rule was finalized in May of 2024, and its legality is being challenged by Alaskan oil and gas operators, the State of Alaska, and North Slope organizations. AOGA has intervened in the State’s suite.

Meanwhile, BLM has already taken swift action under the new rule and issued a Request for Information (RFI) on the NPR-A Special Areas, presumably seeking to classify large swaths of the NPR-A as Special Areas, restricted to development.

On top of that, BLM’s approach to gathering public input using this RFI is unclear and a departure from how they have engaged with Alaskans in the past. Asking for comments to be emailed, instead of using a public, accessible platform, allows the BLM to solicit input in secret and never make it public. This lends credence to the argument that the BLM continually ignores the input of North Slope residents and elected officials despite Secretary Haaland’s pledge to “ensur(ing) that Tribal leaders have a seat at the table and can work directly with federal leaders on issues of importance.”

This RFI appears to be a backdoor approach for BLM to push new policies and restrictions without providing stakeholders clear criteria to evaluate what information they seek and what the outcome will be. Congress set up the NPR-A to support responsible petroleum production; expanding special areas or creating new ones while ignoring consultation is at odds with that intent, adding uncertainty for the industry and spooking investment. That’s bad news for Alaska’s economy.
Changes to special areas need to go through the established Integrated Activity Plan (IAP) process, which ensures full public review, transparency, and input from all stakeholders. It has always been done this way, and it has worked because it results in decisions that balance development with environmental protection.

Learn more about the rule below and see how it threatens natural resource development, American energy security, and critical economic benefits for the State of Alaska. Below you can also see the comments specific to various groups/organizations on the RFI process:

Alaska Delegation Rebuffs Proposed NPR-A Rule

The National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska Fact Sheet

NPR-A RFI Comments

It may surprise Alaskans to know that most transportation and other fuel products that help power our vehicles, keep our airlines moving and pave our roads are manufactured right here at home. The process involves complex chemical engineering that transforms crude oil from Alaska and other sources into a variety of value-added products such as jet fuel, gasoline, heating fuel, propane, asphalt and more. After the products are finished, they are distributed throughout Alaska via terminals, trucks, rail and barge.

Alaska’s first refinery started production in Kenai in 1969. Today, we have three active refineries, including one in North Pole and another in Valdez. These refineries employ hundreds of Alaskans across the state, and together they work seven days a week, 365 days a year to produce quality fuels for our many in-state needs.