BLM Requests Nominations, Comments for 2019 Oil and Gas Lease Sale In NPR-A

ANCHORAGE—In continuing efforts to promote America’s energy independence and job creation, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published a notice in the Federal Register calling for nominations and comments on available tracts to be considered for its 2019 oil and gas lease sale in the 22.1-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A).

The notice, announcing a thirty-day period in which interested parties may nominate or comment on available tracts, is the first step in the process leading up to the 2019 oil and gas lease sale. The BLM Alaska State Office must receive all nominations and comments on these tracts for consideration on or before July 22, 2019. 

The selection of available tracts will be consistent with the allocations and stipulations identified by the NPR-A 2013 Record of Decision for the Integrated Activity Plan (IAP). The BLM’s 2013 IAP identified 11.8 million acres available for leasing. Of these 11.8 million acres, about 1.6 million acres are currently leased.

“This is one of several actions we are taking to further expand energy development in Alaska,” stated Chad Padgett, BLM Alaska State Director.  “The BLM in Alaska is also working on a new Integrated Activity Plan for the NPR-A to maximize tracts offered in the next lease sale as well as developing an Oil and Gas Leasing Program for the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as directed by the 2017 Tax Act.”

There are 879 tracts on approximately 10.2 million acres that will be available for nomination and comment.  Currently, there are 215 authorized oil and gas leases, totaling 1,558,396 acres in the NPR-A. The Notice of Sale will be published in the Federal Register at least thirty days prior to the sale.  You can submit nominations or comments to:

State Director, Bureau of Land Management
Alaska State Office
222 West 7th Avenue, Mailstop #13
Anchorage, Alaska 99513-7504

You can view a map showing available areas, legal descriptions of the tracts, and additional information at the BLM Alaska NPR-A Oil and Gas Lease Sale web page (http://www.blm.gov/alaska).