Record $163.7 Million Oil and Gas Lease Sale in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve Marks Historic Success for Trump Administration
The event marked the first NPR-A lease sale since 2019 and the inaugural sale required under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law last year.
Tommy Flynn
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Bureau of Land Management held a landmark oil and gas lease sale in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) on March 18, 2026, generating a record $163,696,722 in high bids and delivering a major win for domestic energy production.
The sale offered 625 tracts covering approximately 5.5 million acres within the 23-million-acre reserve on Alaska’s North Slope. Eleven companies submitted roughly 430 bids, resulting in 187 leases awarded across 1,334,967 acres. A Repsol-Shell joint venture was the top bidder, committing nearly $94 million for 42 tracts. Other major participants included ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and additional firms.
The event marked the first NPR-A lease sale since 2019 and the inaugural sale required under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law last year. That legislation mandates at least five NPR-A sales by 2035, with each offering no fewer than 4 million acres. It also directs the Interior Department to prioritize leasing and development in the reserve.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum highlighted the results, noting the sale produced the highest revenue, most tracts receiving bids, and second-highest acreage sold in a single NPR-A auction. The State of Alaska will receive nearly $82 million — 50 percent of the total receipts — with a portion supporting North Slope communities through the NPR-A Impact Mitigation program. Cumulative NPR-A lease sales since 1999 have now generated more than $457 million.
The strong industry response follows President Donald Trump’s executive order “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential,” which reversed Biden-era restrictions on development in the NPR-A, reopened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to leasing, and expedited permitting for projects including the Ambler Access Road and Alaska liquefied natural gas pipelines. The sale advances Trump’s broader agenda for American energy dominance.
Alaska officials and North Slope Iñupiat leaders welcomed the outcome, citing the critical role of resource development in funding local services. Oil and gas activity accounts for more than 95 percent of tax revenue on the North Slope, supporting schools, health clinics, and infrastructure while coexisting with traditional subsistence practices.