The director of the Division of Oil and Gas — after consultation with the Department of Fish and Game — may allow the use of gravel for exploration projects in the Foothills.
DNR Commissioner Pat Pourchot said in a July 24 decision that this same change would be made in mitigation measures for the southern portion of the North Slope areawide lease sale, and has supplemented the 1998 best interest finding for North Slope areawide oil and gas lease sales.
In mitigation measures for the 2002 Foothills oil and gas lease sale DNR allowed gravel to be used for exploration in the Foothills and, at the request of Anadarko Petroleum Corp., is allowing the same change in mitigation measures for the southern area of the North Slope areawide lease area.
Pourchot said in the decision that "gravel roads and pads may be allowed for exploration in the southern portion of the sale area, in certain limited and site-specific circumstances, and on a case-by-case basis, when no feasible and prudent alternatives exist."
Bids will be opened beginning at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 23 for the North Slope and Beaufort Sea areawide oil and gas lease sales at the Wilda Marston Theater in Anchorage.
