ANWR lease sale flops, AIDEA and one small company submit bids

The oil industry has no interest in exploring for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

That’s the only real conclusion to be drawn from the federal lease that flopped—as the only bidders were a state-owned entity, AIDEA, and Hex Energy LLC.

AIDEA, which is owned by the state, was the top bidder on three tracts, while Hex was tops on two. More than $1.5 million of state money was put up by AIDEA.

Half of the lease sale money, about $1.5 million, will go to the state.

Decades of lobbying and political pressure by environmental groups have created enormous public opposition to drilling in ANWR.

The oil companies are not led by stupid people. They recognize a public relations disaster in the offing, which is what exploring and drilling in ANWR would be.

The situation is different with the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, which is to the west of the main North Slope oil fields. The environmental movement has not made that part of the North Slope a national cause over the decades or labeled it as “America’s Serengeti.”

The big question for the state is how much money are we willing to spend in promoting ANWR drilling when it is obvious that the oil industry has no appetite for a venture that would cost billions or tens of billions.

The Trump administration released this ridiculous press release, claiming the sale was a success. And another stop toward energy dominance.

The claim by BLM Director Steve Pearce that this reflects “strong industry interest” in ANWR is a lie.

BLM Holds First Successful Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Lease Sale Under Working Families Tax Cuts Act

Anchorage, Alaska — The Bureau of Land Management held an oil and gas lease sale today for the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, resulting in five leases and $3,741,528 in total receipts. President Donald J. Trump was the first and only president to hold a successful lease sale in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska in 2021, as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Under the previous administration, lease sales in the region were deliberately discouraged.  

This was the second successful sale in the area under President Donald J. Trump’s leadership and the first since the passage of the Working Families Tax Cuts. Congress recognized the significant resource potential of the Coastal Plain through the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 and later authorized oil and gas leasing in the area with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

“This lease sale is another important step toward restoring American Energy Dominance and responsibly developing the vast resources Congress directed us to make available in the Coastal Plain,” said BLM Director Steve Pearce. “The previous administration did everything in its power to discourage industry from development in the Coastal Plain. The strong industry interest we saw today reflects confidence in Alaska’s resource potential and the Trump administration’s commitment to providing certainty for investment. These leases will help create jobs, generate significant revenue for Alaska and the nation and support the reliable domestic energy production Americans depend on every day.”

The BLM offered 58 tracts across approximately 688,829 acres for bid in today’s sale. In response, two companies submitted bids on five tracts covering 72,049 acres.

“Today’s lease sale underscores the vision that both industry and government share about the viability of development in the Coastal Plain,” said BLM Alaska State Director Kevin Pendergast. “Alaska is a bedrock of America’s energy security, and this sale will bolster the state’s economy and ultimately lead to additional energy production.”

The State of Alaska will receive nearly $2 million, representing 50 percent of the bid receipts. Since January 2025, the Bureau of Land Management has worked expeditiously to implement direction aimed at unlocking the plain’s energy potential through Executive Order 14153, Secretary’s Order 3422, and the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. The Bureau reversed the 2023 lease cancellations, issued a new 2025 Record of Decision, and resumed and expanded leasing in the Coastal Plain.

Information on previous Coastal Plain sales—as well as maps, GIS shapefiles, and a table with today’s complete sale results by tract—is available on the Bureau of Land Management Alaska’s Oil and Gas Lease Sales website.