Beaufort final best interest finding out

Kristen Nelson

Petroleum News

The Alaska Division of Oil and Gas has issued a final best interest finding for Beaufort Sea areawide oil and gas lease sales, covering 2019-28.

The finding, signed by division acting Director James Beckham, with concurrence by Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Corri Feige, is dated July 12.

Best interest findings are issued every 10 years; annually, prior to areawide oil and gas lease sales, the division issues a call for any substantial new information which has become available since the most recent final best interest finding.

The director’s final written finding is that “the potential benefits of the lease sales outweigh the possible negative effects, and that the Beaufort Sea Areawide oil and gas lease sales will best serve the interests of the State of Alaska.”

The finding is available on the division’s website at: https://dog.dnr.alaska.gov/Services/BIFAndLeaseSale.

After the preliminary BIF was issued the division received comments from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the North Slope Borough and the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission.

The division said it added ringed and bearded seals to the list of threatened or endangered animals in the sale area based on a comment from Fish and Game’s Habitat Division and incorporated additional information describing NSB requirements for offshore oil and gas activities to protect subsistence resources and activities based on comments from the NSB.

- KRISTEN NELSON