Arctic offshore production wells are OK’d for Alaska’s coast
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The first oil and gas production wells in federal Arctic waters have been approved by U.S. regulators.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Wednesday announced it issued a conditional permit for the Liberty Project, a proposal by a subsidiary of Houston-based Hilcorp for production wells on an artificial island in the Beaufort Sea.
The approval follows through on President Donald Trump’s promise of American energy dominance, said Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.
Environmental groups oppose Arctic offshore drilling and have expressed concerns about the production record of Hilcorp Alaska LLC. State authorities in 2017 fined the company $200,000 for violations at another production site.