Trump seeks to repeal Biden Arctic oil drilling restrictions
3 Min Read
Trump moves to lift Biden-era limits on Arctic oil drilling, aiming to open 23 million acres in Alaska’s petroleum reserve for expanded energy development.
-
A boat rides though a frozen sea inlet outside of Nuuk, Greenland, March 6, 2025. (AP/Evgeniy Maloletka)
The Trump administration is moving to undo a signature Biden-era policy that blocked oil drilling across vast swaths of Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve, a region estimated to hold 8.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced the planned reversal during a town hall in Utqiagvik on the Chukchi Sea coast in Alaska, part of a cabinet tour to promote energy development in the Arctic.
The policy change follows US President Donald Trump’s January executive order calling for expanded oil, gas, and mineral development across Alaska.
The proposal would lift restrictions on millions of acres within the 23 million-acre reserve, originally established a century ago as a fuel source for the Navy.
The move specifically seeks to repeal a 2024 rule issued under former President Joe Biden, which designated 13 million acres of the reserve as “special areas,” effectively halting future leasing and maintaining prohibitions on an additional 10.6 million acres.
The regulation had complicated exploration efforts for energy companies operating in the region, including ConocoPhillips, Santos Ltd., Armstrong Oil & Gas Inc., and Repsol SA.
ConocoPhillips is currently developing the Willow project within the reserve, a 600-million-barrel venture expected to begin production by 2029.
Burgum’s announcement was welcomed by residents at a local heritage center, where officials, including Senator Dan Sullivan and Governor Mike Dunleavy, joined Trump’s cabinet in advocating for Arctic energy independence.
Oil output in Alaska forecast to surge
National Energy Dominance Council Vice Chair Chris Wright projected a major increase in oil production from Alaska’s North Slope, potentially quadrupling current output. According to US Geological Survey data, the reserve contains enough recoverable oil to reshape domestic production.
Alaska anticipates a jump from 15,800 barrels per day in fiscal 2023 to 139,600 barrels per day by 2033.
Wright criticized past policies for “smothering” the region’s potential, while Arctic Slope Regional Corporation Chairman Rex Rock Sr. argued that the Biden administration’s restrictions lacked support from local Indigenous communities and stakeholders.
Local support clashes with environmental concerns
Despite support from some Alaskan officials and corporations, environmental groups have warned that lifting protections threatens a vast Arctic ecosystem home to migratory birds, caribou, and polar bears.
Conservationists insist that in a climate crisis, there is no justification for unlocking such a large cache of fossil fuels.
The Trump administration’s proposal will be subject to a 60-day public comment period, after which new leasing opportunities could rapidly proceed.
Environmental organizations are expected to mount legal challenges in federal court in an effort to block the reversal and preserve Biden’s protections.
