Beaufort BIF out; call for NS, Foothills

Petroleum News

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Oil and Gas, has issued a preliminary best interest finding for proposed Beaufort Sea areawide oil and gas lease sales from 2019-28, and a call for new information for the North Slope and North Slope Foothills areawide sales.

Once a preliminary BIF becomes final, it is good for 10 years; the division then puts out annual calls for substantial new information.

The most recent North Slope areawide final BIF was issued in 2018 and the most recent Foothills final BIF in 2011.

New information for the North Slope and Foothills BIFs is due by 5 p.m., May 17. The division describes this as “substantial new information that has become available over the past year concerning these areas,” and says that, based on the information it receives, it will either issue supplements to the findings or decisions of no substantial new information for the sales.

Comments on the Beaufort Sea preliminary BIF are due by 5 p.m., June 12.

The North Slope, Beaufort Sea and Foothills areawide sales are typically held in the fourth quarter; the call for new information says the North Slope and Foothills sales are “tentatively scheduled for the second half of 2019.”

The preliminary BIF for the Beaufort Sea is available on the division’s website, as are findings and supplements for the North Slope and Foothills sales. Lease sale and BIF information is under the Services tab at: https://dog.dnr.alaska.gov/Library/.

- Petroleum News