January 27, 2026.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today announced it will publish a Request for Information and Interest to evaluate industry interest and gather public input that could inform a potential lease sale for minerals on the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of Alaska. The request is an early step in BOEM’s competitive leasing process and is not a decision to hold a sale.
“Alaska’s offshore holds strategic potential for the minerals that drive American industry, defense and next-generation technologies,” said BOEM’s Acting Director Matt Giacona. “This Request for Information is a practical first step to gauge interest and identify areas where development could make sense for jobs, investment and national supply chains.”
If a sale is ultimately held, it would be the first Outer Continental Shelf minerals lease sale offshore Alaska.
What the Request for Information does
The notice invites all parties, including the public, companies, governments, and Alaska Native tribes and other organizations to submit information about potential lease areas, uses and conflicts, and other factors that could inform BOEM’s planning. Among other items, BOEM seeks input on minerals of interest, potential tract configurations and interactions with other ocean uses.
The Request for Information area encompasses the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf as a whole; responses will help BOEM narrow and shape any areas for further analysis.
How to respond
The request will be published in the Federal Register on Jan. 29, 2026. That publication will open a 30-day window for input. Members of the public may submit comments at www.Regulations.gov under docket number BOEM-2025-0318. Companies wishing to indicate commercial interest in specific Outer Continental Shelf blocks should follow the instructions in the notice and submit to AlaskaLeaseSales@boem.gov or by mail to:
BOEM Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region
Office of Leasing and Plans
3801 Centerpoint Dr Ste 500
Anchorage, Alaska 99503
Comments will be received until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, March 2, 2026.
What comes next
If BOEM receives indications of interest and proceeds, the Bureau would follow its minerals leasing regulations, including Area Identification, a Proposed Leasing Notice (at least 60 days before a Leasing Notice), and a Leasing Notice (at least 30 days before any sale). BOEM would then evaluate bids under competitive cash-bonus procedures.
For more information — including a copy of the Request for Information and a map of the area included in the request — see: www.boem.gov/ak-minerals-2027
Alaska and Canadian First Nations Tribes, notably the Gwich'in, strongly oppose both off-shore and oil drilling in areas like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and the Western Arctic, citing risks to the Porcupine caribou herd—a vital food source—and sacred lands. They contend that industrial development destroys subsistence hunting, threatens biodiversity, and exacerbates climate change.
Key points regarding the opposition:
- Cultural & Subsistence Threats: The Gwich'in argue that drilling in the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge will alter their way of life and threaten the Porcupine Caribou Herd, which is essential for their food security and culture.
- Legal Challenges: Indigenous organizations, including Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic, have filed lawsuits against the federal approval of oil projects (e.g., Conoco Phillips' projects) in the Western Arctic.
- Environmental Concerns: Opponents, including Elders from the Point Hope Council, highlight the potential for oil spills in the Chukchi Sea, which could devastate marine life and coastal communities.
- Divided Voices: While many, particularly the Gwich'in, oppose the drilling, some Iñupiat residents of Kaktovik support it for economic reasons.
- Impact on Subsistence: Changes in migration patterns and thawing permafrost due to development have already been reported, forcing hunters to travel further.
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