U.S. sets 2026 oil and gas lease sale in Alaska’s Arctic Coastal Plain
(WO) - The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold an oil and gas lease sale on June 5, 2026, covering acreage in the Coastal Plain of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), marking the next step in a federally mandated leasing program for the region.
The sale will offer tracts within the 1.56-million-acre Coastal Plain, where federal law requires multiple lease sales to be conducted by 2035. Sealed bids are due by June 3, with results to be opened publicly in Anchorage.
The upcoming lease sale follows a February 2026 call for nominations and represents a continuation of federal efforts to advance development in northern Alaska. Previous leasing activity in the region has produced mixed results, including a 2021 sale that resulted in limited awards and a 2025 sale that drew no bids amid regulatory constraints at the time.
BLM officials said the sale is part of broader U.S. policy initiatives aimed at expanding domestic energy development and reinforcing long-term supply. The agency is required to offer at least 400,000 acres in each lease sale under current legislation.
The Coastal Plain has long been viewed as a prospective frontier for U.S. oil and gas development, with federal policymakers citing its potential contribution to domestic energy supply. However, leasing activity in the area continues to face market, regulatory and environmental considerations that have influenced industry participation in prior sales.
BLM manages approximately 245 million acres of public land and administers 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate across the U.S., including key upstream regions in Alaska.
