BLM awards oil and gas leases from June NPR-A sale

Petroleum News

The Bureau of Land Management said Sept. 23 that it has officially awarded oil and gas leases from the June National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska lease sale.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp., ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc., Fortuna Exploration LLC, Petro-Canada (Alaska) Inc. and Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska Inc. submitted bonus bids totaling $53,904,491 for 123 tracts covering 1,403,561 acres in the northwest and northeast planning areas of NPR-A. BLM said that in the 90 days following the sale, the Minerals Management Service analyzed the bids so that BLM could formally accept or reject them and award the leases.

BLM Alaska State Director Henri Bisson said he was pleased with “the validation of the bids and the fact that we have some new players in the petroleum reserve.

“Developing these leases will help extend the life of the trans-Alaska pipeline and help support the quality of life we have in America,” he said. In addition to the bonus bids, the companies have also paid the first year’s lease payments of $4,210,683. BLM said the money is deposited with the MMS in Denver, and will be split 50-50 between the state of Alaska and the U.S. Treasury, probably in April.

BLM said the companies will work with the agency to get appropriate permits for exploring the leases.

A court case challenging the adequacy of the land use plan is pending in federal district court, BLM said, with a ruling expected this fall.