BLM to hold NPR-A sale {Alaska Oil leases}

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is still planning to hold its National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska lease sale on Sept. 27, despite a court injunction temporarily prohibiting further action on the final environmental impact statement (or FEIS) authorizing oil and gas leasing in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area in northeastern NPR-A. The Sept. 27 lease sale includes both the Northwest and Northeast NPR-A Planning Areas.

“We are proceeding with the lease sale,” Danielle Allen, a BLM public affairs specialist, told Petroleum News Sept. 21.

A coalition of environmental groups, consisting of the National Audubon Society, Alaska Wilderness League, Center for Biological Diversity, Natural Resources Defense Council, Northern Alaska Environmental Center, Sierra Club and The Wilderness Society, have sued to stop BLM’s planned lease sale in northeast NPR-A. As a consequence of the lawsuit the U.S. District Court in Alaska issued a preliminary decision against the FEIS on Sept. 6.

The court asked for written arguments by Sept. 15 in response to its preliminary decision. A rebuttal hearing was scheduled for Sept. 21, a court official told PN. The court then needs to issue a final decision in the case. That ruling is expected before Sept. 27, an Interior Department official told one member of the press, although the court official PN interviewed was not able to confirm that information.

Teshekpuk Lake is a habitat for huge numbers of waterfowl and lies in an area that includes caribou calving grounds. The court’s preliminary decision said that BLM did not adequately account in the FEIS for the cumulative impacts on the Northwest Planning Area of opening the Teshekpuk Lake area.

National Petroleum Reserve -Alaska Lease Sale, September 27, 2006, Maps

U.S. Geological Survey 2002 Petroleum Resource Assessment of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA)

A new USGS assessment concludes that NPRA holds signicantly greater petroleum resources than previously estimated. Technically recoverable, undiscovered oil beneath the Federal part of NPRA likely ranges between 5.9 and 13.2 billion barrels, with a mean (expected) value of 9.3 billion barrels. Technically recoverable, undiscovered nonassociated natural gas for the same area likely ranges between 39.1 and 83.2 trillion cubic feet, with a mean (expected) value of 59.7 trillion cubic feet.

related previous threads to review

Judge Halts Petroleum Lease Sales
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1697716/posts
Posted on 09/08/2006 4:53:53 AM AKDT by Brilliant

Judge Halts Alaska Reserve Lease Sales
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1697489/posts
Posted on 09/07/2006 5:06:11 PM AKDT by SmithL

Interior to open Alaska wetlands to oil rigs
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1687314/posts
Posted on 08/21/2006 5:50:27 AM AKDT by thackney

Firm plans to explore in NPR-A
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1685185/posts
Posted on 08/17/2006 4:52:49 AM AKDT by thackney

Interior Department to Open Alaska Wetlands to Oil Drilling
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1684937/posts
Posted on 08/16/2006 3:04:44 PM AKDT by saganite

New Alaska oil leases being offered
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1684819/posts
Posted on 08/16/2006 10:46:19 AM AKDT by markomalley

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