Parts of Alaska wilderness open to oil and gas drilling with tax overhaul

At long last, a senator said the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is open to responsible energy development, though advocates said the move is "unconscionable."


U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both Republicans, voted in favor of the extensive overhaul to the U.S. tax code. The measure passed out of the Senate along party lines and includes language inserted by Murkowski that opens parts of the wildlife refuge in Alaska to oil and gas drilling.

After casting his vote Tuesday, Sullivan said the so-called section 1002 Area of ANWR is open to drillers "at long last." An effort lasting more than a decade has ended, he said, and "takes us one step closer to this momentous accomplishment for Alaska and the nation."

Murkowski's office said the section the 1002 Area is a non-wilderness portion of the refuge and her provision carved out only a "small portion" of the acreage for oil and gas drilling.

A study from the U.S. Geological Survey found most of the oil was in the western section of the 1002 Area and recovery depends on the price of oil. A USGS fact sheet found as much of 10.4 billion barrels of oil would be considered commercial with oil priced at $30 per barrel, about half the current market price.
 [upi.com]
 20/12/17