Court allows ConocoPhillips intervention

Alan Bailey

Petroleum News

The federal District Court in Alaska has allowed ConocoPhillips to intervene in a case in which the Native village of Nuiqsut and several environmental organizations have sued the Bureau of Land Management over the agency’s approval of ConocoPhillips’ 2018-19 winter exploration program in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The lawsuit claims that BLM did not fulfill the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act when it approved the exploration program.

The plaintiffs in the case have asked the court to determine that the approval of the exploration program was “arbitrary, capricious, and/or not in accordance with law,” and have requested that the court vacate the record of decision approving the program, and put a halt to further exploration activities until BLM has complied with NEPA.

Having been allowed to participate in the court case, on April 12 ConocoPhillips filed a brief challenging the plaintiffs’ case. Among other points, the company argues that the plaintiffs have not stated a claim that can be granted relief and that plaintiffs lack standing to bring their claims. The company has also questioned whether the court has jurisdiction over some of the claims.

- ALAN BAILEY