Episode Details

Alaskas Department of Natural Resources has tentatively approved oil and gas exploration on state-owned subsurface lands near the Yukon River in the Yukon Flats area. This decision, announced in a public notice on March fourth, aligns with state goals to develop natural resources. Public comments are due by April sixth. Hilcorp, an oil and gas company, has been active nearby with Doyon Limited, the regional Alaska Native corporation. Last summer, they drilled an exploration well on Doyon-leased land near Birch Creek, south of Fort Yukon. The Yukon Flats feature vast wetlands prized for waterfowl, mostly within a national wildlife refuge. State control here covers only riverbeds and lakebeds, following a twenty-nineteen Supreme Court ruling. This move targets so-called Middle Earth, a huge unexplored region between the North Slope and Cook Inlet with unknown potential. Officials note tech advances could improve surveys, providing valuable geological data, but Hilcorps permit remains on hold pending the full review. If approved, separate steps would evaluate Hilcorp specifically, with layers of state and federal oversight ahead for any drilling.

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