Preliminary finding issued for Beaufort Sea areawide sale

The state issued a preliminary best interest finding Dec. 15 for its proposed Beaufort Sea areawide oil and gas lease sale.

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Oil and Gas is asking for comments on the preliminary best interest finding, the Alaska Coastal Management Program consistency analysis and any proposed term or condition. Comments must be received by March 1 to be considered in the final best interest finding and ACMP consistency determination. Comments should be mailed to James Hansen, lease sales manager, Division of Oil and Gas, 3601 C St., Ste. 1380, Anchorage AK 99503-5948. The division will hold a public meeting regarding this proposed sale in Kaktovik on Feb. 16.

The proposed Beaufort Sea areawide sale includes approximately 2.12 million acres entirely within the North Slope Borough including all unleased, state-owned lands in the Beaufort Sea and shore lands along the Arctic coast from the Canadian border in the east to Barrow in the west.

The area is divided into 576 tracts ranging in gross area from 640 to 5,760 acres. After bids are received, the division will complete a comprehensive evaluation of the lands within tracts receiving bids.

A free preliminary tract map is available. Contact Lynn Blessington, Division of Oil and Gas, 3601 C Street, Ste. 1380, Anchorage Ak 99503, phone 907 269-8808, email [email protected].

A final best interest finding is expected to be available on or about June 22. If a decision is made that the proposed sale best serves the interests of the state, an instructions to bidders packet will be available at the same time. The sale is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 5 at the Wilda Marston Theater in the Loussac Public Library in Anchorage.