Trump announces expansion of oil and gas exploration in Alaska

The United States Secretary Doug Burgum announced on Thursday (unspecified date) new guidelines to expand the exploration of oil and gas in Alaska, as well as suspend restrictions on the construction of a liquefied natural gas pipeline (LNG) in the state.

The measure meets a decree of President Donald Trump aimed at removing barriers to energy development in the region.

During the announcement, Burgum reported that the federal agency responsible for managing public land intends to reopen approximately 82% of the Alaska National Oil Reserve for leases intended for energy development. The area had been partially restricted under previous policies.

In addition, the Interior Department indicated that the process will be resumed to release the coastal plain from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which covers about 600,000 hectares. The objective is to allow exploration and extraction activities of oil and gas in this region, located in the far north of Alaska.

The secretary also stated that the federal government will revoke restrictions that prevented the advancement of projects such as Amber Road and Alaska’s liquefied natural gas pipeline.

Ambler Road is a proposed road to facilitate access to mineral deposits in western Brooks Range. The pipeline is intended to enable the transport of natural gas from the north of the state to consumer centers or export ports.

“The time has come for the US to embrace the abundant and largely unexplored resources of Alaska as a path to the nation’s prosperity, including the inhabitants of Alaska,” Burgum said during the press conference.

The announcement was accompanied by favorable demonstrations by state authorities. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and members of the state bench in Congress have been pressuring changes in the federal policy of using natural resources.

They argue that the restrictions adopted during Biden administration limited the region’s economic potential and reduced development opportunities.

Republican parliamentarians of the state state that the flexibility of norms is essential for job creation, revenue collection and energy security. The state government has also argued that energy infrastructure projects can contribute to local economic stability.

Some indigenous communities of Alaska also spoke in support of the measures. Representatives of certain indigenous nations expressed interest in participating in the development of energy resources in their territories.

According to information released by the interior department, indigenous groups had requested the right to economically exploit areas under their jurisdiction and positively received the government’s announcement.

The advancement of exploration activities in protected areas, however, remains a topic of debate in different federal and state instances.

Environmental organizations and sectors of civil society have warned of possible impacts on sensitive ecosystems, especially in the National Wildlife Refuge of the Arctic.

Opposition groups claim that large -scale projects can affect local fauna, modify natural landscapes and compromise the subsistence of communities that depend on the environmental resources of the region.

The Interior Department reported that regulatory processes will follow the procedures required by law, including environmental impact analysis, public consultation periods and technical evaluations on viability and risks of planned operations.

The announced changes add to other initiatives of the current federal administration aimed at expanding domestic energy production.

The government has adopted an approach to incentive to the development of fossil fuels, in parallel to the expansion of renewable sources, as part of its energy safety strategy.

New leases and the removal of restrictions are expected to enable investments by private initiative, especially companies in the oil and gas sector.

The construction of the LNG pipeline, in turn, still depends on specific licenses and approval of technical studies before its implementation.

Authorities did not disclose deadlines for the start of activities in the reopened areas, but indicated that regulatory procedures will be started in the coming weeks.

With the changes, Alaska returns to the center of discussions on energy policies in the United States, in a context of reevaluating the role of natural resources in the national energy matrix.