Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) oil resources
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a vast 19.2-million-acre area in northeastern Alaska, known for its diverse ecosystems and wildlife, including significant populations of caribou, polar bears, and various bird species. This refuge is believed to contain substantial oil reserves, estimated at up to 11.8 billion barrels, sparking ongoing debates over oil development within its borders. Historically, the debate over ANWR's oil resources has pitted economic interests against environmental conservation, with proponents arguing that oil extraction could reduce dependence on foreign oil and create jobs, while opponents emphasize the potential ecological damage and threats to subsistence hunting, particularly for Indigenous communities.
The region's coastal plain, particularly vital for the Porcupine caribou herd, has faced significant scrutiny regarding the environmental impacts of drilling. Legislative efforts to open ANWR to oil exploration date back to the 1980s, with varying degrees of success influenced by shifting political landscapes. Recent actions, including lease cancellations by the Biden administration, reflect the contentious nature of the discussion surrounding ANWR's oil resources, which remains a symbol of the broader conflict between energy development and environmental stewardship. The perspectives within Indigenous communities are notably divided, with some advocating for economic benefits from oil development while others prioritize the preservation of traditional subsistence resources.
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Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) oil resources
Summary: The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a 19.2-million-acre area of federally protected land in the northeastern corner of Alaska believed to contain up to 11.8 billion barrels of recoverable crude oil.
Covering nearly 20 million acres of northeastern Alaska, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is characterized by coastal lands, barrier islands, and the coastal plain in the north, the 9,000-foot peaks of the eastern Brooks Range in its central region, and tundra and lowland boreal forest to the south. The refuge supports numerous fish species, marine and land mammals, and more than 200 migrant and resident bird species. Sometimes called America’s Serengeti or the Last Great Wilderness, ANWR is prized by environmentalists for its unique Arctic ecosystem and wilderness character. Supporters of oil development argue that ANWR’s petroleum resources stand to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil. ANWR is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The only community located within the refuge’s borders is Kaktovik, an Inupiat village of 250 people on the northern coast, although Alaska Natives from nearby villages have traditionally used the area for subsistence hunting and fishing. Mammal species in ANWR include caribou, moose, wolf, fox, polar bear, grizzly bear, musk ox, Dall sheep, seal, and walrus. Bird species include tundra swans, snow geese, falcons, eagles, and countless ducks and migratory waterfowl. Fish species include sheefish, Arctic grayling, Dolly Varden, and other anadromous species.
The refuge was first established as the Arctic National Wildlife Range in 1960. With the strong backing of sportsmen’s groups and conservationists, including wilderness advocates Lowell Sumner, George Collins, and Olaus and Margaret Murie, the Interior Department under President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued Public Land Order 2214, which protected fish and wildlife resources and preserved recreational uses in the range but left open the possibility of future oil development.
In 1980, Congress passed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), which renamed the range a refuge and more than doubled its size. Eight million acres of the new ANWR received a wilderness designation under the Wilderness Act of 1964 (not in existence at the time of the range’s founding), while another 10 million acres were assigned a “minimal management” classification. Because of the region’s sizable oil resources, Congress at the time postponed its decision on land management for ANWR’s 1.5-million-acre coastal plain until its energy potential could be fully assessed. ANILCA required the federal government to conduct a comprehensive study of the so-called 1002 area (pronounced “ten-oh-two” and named for the section of the bill where it is found) that would provide information on estimated petroleum reserves, infrastructure and transportation needs, fish and wildlife resources, and environmental impacts of development. ANILCA expressly prohibits oil development in the 1002 area absent congressional approval.
In response to the ANILCA directive, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service completed the Coastal Plain Resource Assessment and Final Legislative Environmental Impact Statement (FLEIS) in 1987. The report provided a mean estimate of economically recoverable oil of 3.2 billion barrels, a figure based on surface geological surveys and extensive seismic exploration activities conducted in the mid-1980s. No drilling was performed in preparing the estimate. The FLEIS also noted that the 1002 area is the most biologically productive part of ANWR, primarily for the Porcupine caribou herd that calves on the coastal plain.
Oil production, according to the FLEIS, would likely have a major impact on the caribou, as well as reduced bird nesting habitat and polar bear denning habitat. The Fish and Wildlife Service nevertheless recommended that full development take place in the area. In January 2021, twenty-two tracts of land within the reserve containing substantial amounts of oil were placed up for auction. However, in July 2021, President Biden's administration suspended all drilling leases. In 2023, Biden's administration cancelled the leases.
Another assessment of ANWR’s petroleum reserves was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 1998. The total quantity of technically recoverable oil in ANWR (excluding sections of state and Native lands) is estimated to be between 4.3 and 11.8 billion barrels, with a mean value of 7.7 billion barrels. The USGS estimates assumed commercial viability based on the price of oil, recovery technology, size, and proximity of the deposit to infrastructure (such as pipelines and roads).
Congress has debated opening the ANWR coastal plain to oil development many times since the 1980s. The Alaska congressional delegation continually supports development for the jobs and revenue it would create, while other members of Congress have opposed such legislation on environmental grounds. A bill opening ANWR passed Congress in 1995 but was vetoed by President Bill Clinton. Further efforts to open ANWR to oil drilling finally succeeded in 2017 under President Donald Trump, when the drilling ban was lifted as part of a tax-reform package passed in the Republican-led Congress. However, it was expected to be some years before any drilling actually began in the area.
Supporters of development note that oil from ANWR would offset foreign imports and create jobs in Alaska and throughout the country. Arctic Power, an industry lobbying group, refutes claims of environmental impact by noting roads, pipelines, drilling rigs, and other infrastructure would occupy only 2,000 of the coastal plain’s 1.5 million acres. According to supporters, directional drilling and other advances in technology stand to minimize surface disturbance to wildlife.
Environmental groups, both within and outside Alaska, have been the main opponent of oil development in ANWR. Organizations such as the Alaska Conservation Alliance, Sierra Club, and Natural Resources Defense Council call the 2,000-acre footprint a myth, noting that roads and pipelines constitute a spiderweb of industrial facilities that would cover many times more acreage. Oil spills and general industry activity, the groups claim, would disturb the ecosystem and drive the Porcupine caribou herd from its critical calving grounds. Alaska Natives are generally split on the question of opening ANWR to oil development. The Gwich’in Athabaskans of ANWR’s southern area oppose oil drilling for its potential effects on subsistence resources, especially caribou. The Inupiat people of the North Slope generally favor development for its revenue and employment opportunities.
Bibliography
“Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 1002 Area, Petroleum Assessment, 1998, Including Economic Analysis.” US Geological Survey, Apr. 2001, pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-0028-01/fs-0028-01.pdf. Accessed 31 July 2024.
"Biden to Cancel Oil and Gas Leases in Alaska by Trump Administration." The Guardian, 6 Sept. 2023, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/06/alaska-biden-cancels-gas-oil-drilling. Accessed 31 July 2024.
Collins, Michael. "Despite Congressional Approval, Oil and Gas Drilling in Alaska's ANWR Is Still Years Away." USA Today, 11 Jan. 2018, www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/01/11/despite-congressional-approval-oil-and-gas-drilling-alaskas-anwr-still-years-away/1022524001/. Accessed 31 July 2024.
Kaye, Roger. Last Great Wilderness: The Campaign to Establish the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Fairbanks: U of Alaska P, 2006.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, Coastal Plain Resource Assessment: Report and Recommendation to the Congress of the United States and Final Legislative Environmental Impact Statement.” US Geological Survey, Apr. 1987, pubs.usgs.gov/fedgov/70039559/report.pdf. Accessed 31 July 2024.