An Alaska state investment authority is looking to conduct seismic tests in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, setting up a clash between oil and gas supporters and environmentalists who oppose new oil wells.
The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA), which finances a range of economic projects, has posted a request for proposals for a “phased, multi-year 3D seismic acquisition program” in Section 1002 of ANWR.
Section 1002 includes about 1.6 million acres of ANWR that do not have wilderness designation. A request for proposals was published on AIDEA’s permitting website on July 24, according to a public listing, with responses due Monday.
Oil and gas supporters in Alaska have been pushing for exploration in ANWR for decades, citing seismic testing from the 1980s that found significant deposits of oil and gas. During President Donald Trump’s first term in office, Congress authorized a leasing program in the Section 1002 area, which the state investment agency used to bid on nine tracts in December 2020.
