knowledge center

Arctic energy development

State of Play:

The Arctic region of the United States has been both an important source of crude oil and the subject of unending political debate because of that oil. 

The Prudhoe Bay oil field, along Alaska’s northern coast, for years accounted for about 20 percent of the nation’s oil production. Because of that production, the industry and its allies long have advocated exploration in the coastal plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, about 65 miles east of Prudhoe. 

What is the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a 19-million-acre expanse of tundra and mountains in northeastern Alaska. It’s the second-largest national wildlife refuge in the United States. Some 9 million acres of ANWR’s interior is designated as federally protected wilderness, which bars any commercial activity. The energy industry has long eyed the 1.5-million-acre coastal plain for its potential for oil production — vehemently opposed by conservationists seeking to preserve ANWR’s pristine environment.

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