Refuge

Separating the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) issue form the ongoing energy bill debate in Congress significantly increases the chances that a comprehensive energy bill will be passed by the new Congress, former Republican U.S Senator and 9/11 Commission member Slade Gorton told an energy industry conference Thursday in Seattle.

His struggle in the U.S. Senate to open the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas drilling was stymied, but Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski is now making an attempt to open the state waters offshore ANWR to producers.

While the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) remains closed to oil and gas drilling, there’s nothing standing in the way of the state offering the area offshore ANWR to producers, according to Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski. The governor said on Wednesday that he plans to offer 350,000 acres of state land offshore ANWR and 670,000 acres off the coast of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska in an October lease sale.

Opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas development would have little impact on the proposed Alaska gas pipeline project, but it probably would save U.S. taxpayers about $8 billion/year in oil expenditures in 2025, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a special report prepared at the request of Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA), chairman of the House Committee on Resources.

Opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas development would have little impact on the proposed Alaska gas pipeline project, but it probably would save U.S. taxpayers about $8 billion/year in oil expenditures in 2025, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a special report prepared at the request of Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA), chairman of the House Committee on Resources.

Key legislative provisions favorable to natural gas production are winding up on the cutting-room floor as House-Senate negotiations over a broad energy bill come down to the wire.

Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-AK), a leading proponent of oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), threatened Thursday to mount a filibuster to the economic-stimulus bill or other legislation, in order to force a vote on the ANWR issue before Congress adjourns for the year.

Although opening up the coastal region of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to exploration is high on his list of things he would like to see accomplished, President Bush said last week that if Congress should fail to pass legislation to allow drilling in the Alaska region it will only toughen his resolve to lift restrictions on unprotected federal lands to drill for natural gas and oil.

Although opening up the coastal region of the Arctic NationalWildlife Refuge (ANWR) to exploration is high on his list of thingsto do, President Bush said yesterday that if Congress should failto pass legislation to allow drilling in the Alaska region it willonly toughen his resolve to lift restrictions on other federallands for producers.