Trump administration to auction oil drilling rights in Alaska wildlife refuge

[OKIsItJustMe]

Source: Reuters

June 5, 2026 7:05 AM EDT

Summary

• U.S. will auction 689,000 acres of oil and gas leases in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
• Industry interest uncertain after previous ANWR lease sales attracted few or no bids
• Supporters cite jobs and energy security, while critics warn of environmental damage and risks to Indigenous communities' way ​of life

June 5 (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Friday will hold a sale of oil and gas leases on 689,000 acres (278,828 ‌hectares) in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a remote and pristine habitat for species including polar bear, caribou and migratory birds.

The auction is the latest test of industry appetite for drilling in northern Alaska, a high risk endeavor involving decades of work and billions of dollars of investment.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, an ​arm of the Department of the Interior, offered 60 tracts in the refuge for auction to oil and gas drillers. Companies ​were required to submit bids by June 3, and they will be opened and read via a livestream ⁠on Friday at 10:00 a.m. (1800 GMT).

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-administration-auction-oil-drilling-rights-alaska-wildlife-refuge-2026-06-05/