North Slope Iñupiat Celebrate First NPR-A Oil Lease Sale Since 2019

Eleven companies submitted bids on 187 tracts covering 1.3 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska on Wednesday, marking the first federal oil and gas lease sale in the reserve since 2019 and drawing immediate praise from North Slope Iñupiat leaders who called it a long-awaited step toward self-determination in their ancestral homelands.

The Department of the Interior said the sale, which offered 625 tracts across roughly 5.5 million acres, drew hundreds of bids and interest from major oil companies, earning the designation of "strongest to date" from federal officials. It was also the first sale conducted under a law Congress passed last year mandating at least five NPR-A lease sales over a 10-year period.

Nagruk Harcharek, president and chief executive of Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat, framed the result as vindication of years of sustained advocacy. "Today's lease sale proves what we have been saying for years: when there is meaningful policy in place supporting responsible onshore development, industry interest will follow," he said. "Over the past year, we have supported the Trump-Vance administration and Congress's efforts to build more durable policies affecting our homelands. This successful NPR-A lease sale is a gratifying reminder of our work that will strengthen our self-determination for generations to come."

VOICE, whose membership includes North Slope elected leaders, argued that Iñupiaq voices played a central role in advancing the policy changes that made the sale possible. The organization noted that more than 95 percent of the North Slope Borough's tax revenue comes from resource development infrastructure, funding essential services including schools and health clinics. Under federal law, half of all royalties derived from NPR-A oil production are directed to North Slope communities through a dedicated grant program.

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum issued a statement calling the reserve central to the country's energy posture. "Today's lease sale underscores the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska's vital role in strengthening America's energy security while fueling economic growth across Alaska," Burgum said. "The Reserve was created to support our nation's energy needs, and this successful sale demonstrates what's possible when we align responsible development with that original purpose." Gov. Mike Dunleavy called the outcome a "major win for our state and our country" and posted on Facebook thanking President Donald Trump "for believing in the great State of Alaska." A joint statement from business, oil and gas, and resource development groups said the "strong participation and unprecedented results underscore renewed investor confidence in Alaska's North Slope and the state's long-term resource potential."

Not all reactions were celebratory. The sale proceeded despite pending legal challenges from environmental organizations and some Indigenous groups. Andy Moderow of the Alaska Wilderness League raised a specific objection tied to a right-of-way agreement, contending that leasing in at least one area required prior approval from the Nuiqsut community. "A plain reading of the right-of-way agreement shows that leasing in that area is not allowed without a waiver from the Nuiqsut group," Moderow said. "For the administration to not even acknowledge that is absurd." The Bureau of Land Management and the Department of the Interior had not publicly addressed the waiver question as of the sale's close.

VOICE pledged to press its case regardless of legal turbulence ahead. "Looking ahead, VOICE will continue to ensure that the North Slope Iñupiat's voices are heard at every policy and development conversation affecting the region," the organization said in its statement. The next steps include lease issuance, required environmental reviews, and project permitting, with at least four more mandated NPR-A sales to follow under the congressional timeline.