Bureau of Land Management reviewing Northeast NPR-A proposed amendments

The Bureau of Land Management is reviewing comments it received after the January release of its preferred alternative for amending its 1998 plan for the Northeast National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

The agency received a number of comments after proposed changes to the NE NPR-A plan were released for public review in late January. The review period closed Feb. 28. BLM Alaska State Director Henri Bisson told Petroleum News March 29 that BLM is reviewing the comments it received and is also having discussions with the North Slope Borough to try to address their concerns.

The Department of the Interior must sign a record of decision before any changes take effect, and Bisson said BLM does not expect a record of decision before the end of April.

BLM’s proposed revision to its 1998 plan would make more acreage available for oil and gas exploration and implement performance-based mitigation measures similar to those developed for the northwest corner of NPR-A.

—Kristen Nelson