http://www.blm.gov/ak/st/en/prog/energy/oil_gas/npra.html
It can’t be drilled for “new oil” since it is a working reservoir. What a a$$hat that woman is...
This is an area set aside for its resources, originally called Naval Reserve #4. Several years ago they started selling leases in a portion of the area but have held up permits for the installation of the production facilities for years.
Beyond survey work and some exploratory drilling, there is no "working" going on.
I was on the design team for what was to become the first oil production wellpad in NPRA a few years ago for ConocoPhillips. It was to be an expansion of the Alpine field on the far Western side of the existing Alaskan North Slope production fields. We built two new wellpads on the East side of the NPRA border but within NPRA, the permits are not yet approved.