Federal Offshore Leases Reimagined for ‘High Arctic’ Planning Area
Photo Credit: Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis | US Coast Guard
As it prepares for an eleventh five-year oil and gas leasing program for the outer continental shelf (OCS), the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) jurisdiction is changing somewhat. The bureau is reconfiguring boundaries for federal waters off Alaska’s shores to establish a new High Arctic planning area.
New Plan for Eleventh Lease Program
The US Department of the Interior says the High Arctic will be the twenty-seventh OCS planning area in BOEM’s jurisdiction. As of this month, BOEM manages 2,227 active oil and gas leases covering approximately 12.1 million acres in OCS regions nationwide. Of these, 469 leases are currently producing oil and gas.
BOEM will soon publish in the Federal Register a Request for Information and Comments on the preparation of the eleventh National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program. This publication will initiate a 45-day public comment period and serve as the initial step in the multi-year planning process. As mandated by the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the Department of the Interior must solicit input from interested and affected parties during development of the National OCS Program.
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May 2025
“Launching the process to develop the eleventh National Outer Continental Shelf Program marks a decisive step toward securing American energy dominance,” says Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “Through a transparent and inclusive public engagement process, we are reinforcing our commitment to responsible offshore energy development—driving job creation, bolstering economic growth, and strengthening American energy independence.”
No specific timeline for future lease sales has been proposed, nor has BOEM determined which areas may be included. Instead, stakeholders may provide insight and recommendations for leasing opportunities, raise concerns, and identify other existing uses that may be affected by offshore leasing.
Once finalized, the eleventh National OCS Program will replace the current tenth program (2024–2029), which includes just three lease sales over five years, all in the Gulf of Mexico. No new federal lease sales were proposed in Alaska waters under the Biden administration; one was held in Cook Inlet in 2022, but it was voided by a federal judge who found that the Department of the Interior did not fully consider the impact of industrial noise on beluga whales.
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