Federal oil and gas lease sale in NPR-A scheduled for March 18
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Kay Cashman Petroleum News
The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, Alaska State Office will hold an oil and gas lease sale bid opening for more than 600 tracts totaling approximately 5.5 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, or NPR-A, at 10 a.m. Alaska Standard Time, or AKST, on March 18, said Kevin J. Pendergast, state director, Alaska.
All sealed bids must be received by BLM by 4 p.m. AKST on March 16, 2026.
Sealed bids must be received at the BLM-Alaska State Office, ATTN: Wayne Svejnoha (AK932); 222 West 7th Ave., #13; Anchorage, AK 99513-7504.
BLM manages more than 22 million acres of surface estate plus the subsurface mineral rights to an additional ~650,000 acres in the NPR-A.
The BLM manages the NPR-A under the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act, which mandates an "expeditious program of competitive leasing" while safeguarding key surface resources.
The BLM is currently implementing new direction to help unlock Alaska's energy potential through Executive Order 14153 and Secretary's Order 3422 and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21).
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the BLM is reinvigorating the NPR-A oil and gas leasing program and resuming lease sales. The Act requires BLM to hold at least five lease sales over the next 10 years, offering a minimum of 4 million acres at each sale beginning with an initial lease sale no later than July 4, 2026.
The upcoming lease sale will follow the guidelines set in the 2020 Record of Decision, or ROD, with updates to the high-potential area boundaries.
The opening and reading of the bids for the 2026 lease sale will be available for online public viewing via video livestreaming at http://www.blm.gov/live.
Svejnoha can be contacted by phone at 907-271-4407 or via email at [email protected].
Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services for contacting Svejnoha. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services within their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.
The Detailed Statement of Sale includes a description of the areas the BLM is offering for lease, as well as the lease terms, conditions, special stipulations, required operating procedures, and directions for how to submit bids. If you plan to submit a bid(s), please note that all bids must be sealed in accordance with the provisions identified in the Detailed Statement of Sale.
Federal Register The Detailed Statement of Sale is supposed to be published in the Federal Register on Feb. 11, specifying precisely what acreage will be auctioned off in the March 18 lease sale.
The BLM said the United States reserves the right to withdraw any tract from this sale prior to issuance of a written acceptance of a bid.
"The National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska plays a vital role in advancing America's energy independence, and Congress has repeatedly made clear their intent for timely leasing and responsible development in the region," said Acting BLM Director Bill Groffy. "This lease sale -- the first in the reserve since 2019 -- marks another exciting milestone as we work to unlock the full potential of this area."
Currently, about 1.6 million acres are leased in the petroleum reserve. Since 1999, BLM lease sales in the area have generated more than $294 million, with revenues supporting both the U.S. Treasury and the State of Alaska. Half of all proceeds -- along with future rental payments -- are directed to the State of Alaska's Impact Grant Program to support local communities.
--KAY CASHMAN
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