AK SR5

Alaska Senate opposes the October 16, 2015 Obama Administration decision to cancel future outer continental shelf oil and gas lease sales in the Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea planning areas scheduled for 2016 and 2017.

United States Bureau of Ocean Energy Management estimates 23 billion barrels of oil and 104.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas are undiscovered and technically recoverable in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.

Alaska Senate urges the U.S. Department of the Interior to include Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea lease sales in the 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program.

Alaska Senate urges the Obama Administration to support responsible offshore oil and gas development in the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf and acknowledge Alaskan support for such development.

Resolution cites Alaska's 50+ years of Arctic development experience, current Trans Alaska Pipeline System operating at 25 percent capacity, and economic benefits to North Slope communities and state revenues.