Alaska Petroleum Reserve Lease Sale Draws Strong Interest Despite Lawsuits

The first oil and gas lease sale in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska in years generated hundreds of bids from major companies, despite pending legal challenges.

Mar. 19, 2026 at 6:18am

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The U.S. Department of Interior announced that 11 companies submitted bids on 187 tracts covering 1.3 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, the first lease sale in the reserve since 2019. State leaders and industry groups praised the strong interest, but environmental and Indigenous groups have filed lawsuits challenging the sale and related actions, citing concerns about impacts on wildlife and subsistence activities.

Why it matters

The National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska is a vast, ecologically sensitive area that provides habitat for a variety of wildlife, including caribou, bears, wolves, and migratory birds. The renewed push for oil and gas development in the region has sparked concerns from environmental and Indigenous groups about the potential impacts on the land and local communities.

The details

The lease sale offered 625 tracts over about 5.5 million acres, and the 11 companies that submitted bids covered 1.3 million acres. The sale was the first since 2019 and the first under a new law passed by Congress last year that requires at least five lease sales in the reserve over a 10-year period. While state leaders and industry groups celebrated the strong interest, several lawsuits have been filed challenging the sale, the management plan that enabled it, and related actions.

  • The lease sale was the first in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska since 2019.
  • The sale was the first under a new law passed by Congress last year that requires at least five lease sales in the reserve over a 10-year period.

The players

National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska

A vast, ecologically sensitive area on Alaska's North Slope that provides habitat for a variety of wildlife, including caribou, bears, wolves, and migratory birds.

U.S. Department of Interior

The federal agency that announced the results of the lease sale, which drew hundreds of bids from major oil companies.

Mike Dunleavy

The Republican governor of Alaska, who called the lease sale results a "major win" for the state and country.

Kristen Miller

The executive director of Alaska Wilderness League, who called the region "one of the last truly wild places on Earth" and vowed to fight the leases.

Jeremy Lieb

An attorney with Earthjustice, which is representing conservation groups in one of the lawsuits challenging the lease sale.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.