Interior Department officials have announced a 2026-2032 offshore oil and gas lease sale schedule for Cook Inlet, saying the sales would ensure Alaskans benefit from new jobs and a stronger economy.
The Aug. 19 announcement by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said those sales, along with others in the Gulf of New Mexico, would strengthen America’s energy dominance, create good paying jobs and ensure responsible development of offshore resources.
Responsible development in Cook Inlet will help reduce reliance on foreign imports while supporting the state’s decades-long tradition of powering America with reliable homegrown energy, the federal agency’s announcement said.
The six Cook Inlet sales are scheduled for March every year in 2026, 2027, 2028, 2030, 2031 and 2032. The Gulf of Mexico sales are set to begin on Dec. 10 of this year, and then every March and August from 2026 through 2039, plus one sale in March of 2040.
According to Interior officials, this schedule meets the law’s requirements while advancing President Donald Trump’s priorities to grow the economy and reduce dependence on foreign energy.
But not all stakeholders see the benefits. The conservation entity Oceana was among the first to voice disapproval of the project.
“There’s nothing beautiful about an oil spill,” said Joseph Gordon, Oceana campaign director. “This plan for massive amounts of offshore drilling lease sales 15 years after the Deepwater Horizon disaster will risk more devastating spills and put our coastal communities in grave danger. We cannot let this legacy of destruction continue.”
The last Cook Inlet oil and gas lease sale (Lease Sale 258) was held on Dec. 30, 2022, with only one bid received from Hilcorp Alaska LLC for a single block, according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The lease on the bid of $63,983 was awarded on March 24, 2023, after a fair market value review.
