The Alaska Department of Natural Resources has announced plans for three areawide oil and gas lease sales covering state lands and waters across the North Slope, North Slope Foothills and Beaufort Sea regions.
The September “save the date” identifies approximately 2,820 tracts encompassing 7.17 million acres that the State currently plans to offer. Complete sale terms and conditions are expected to be released on or after September 28.
Proposed Fall 2026 lease sales
| Sale area | Tracts | Approximate acreage |
|---|---|---|
| Beaufort Sea | 280 | 770,000 acres |
| North Slope | 1,740 | 2.1 million acres |
| North Slope Foothills | 800 | 4.3 million acres |
| Total | 2,820 | 7.17 million acres |
These are State of Alaska lease sales and are separate from federal leasing in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The Beaufort Sea sale primarily covers state waters extending to the boundary with the federal Outer Continental Shelf. The North Slope and North Slope Foothills sales cover state-owned lands situated between or near major federal conservation and development areas.
Offering acreage for lease does not authorize immediate drilling or mean the entire area will be developed. Successful bidders would acquire the right to explore and potentially pursue oil and gas development. Exploration, roads, drilling, pipelines, water use and other activities would require additional state or federal authorizations.
Sale schedule
DNR has provided the following tentative schedule:
- September 28 or later: Sale terms and conditions released
- October 20: Online bidding begins
- November 18: Sale results become available
The announcement does not identify the deadline for submitting bids. That information should be included in the formal notice of sale.
How the bidding works
All tracts will be offered through cash-bonus bidding. Under this method, companies compete based on the upfront amount they are willing to pay for a lease. DNR establishes other terms, including minimum bids, royalty rates, annual rent and lease duration, before bidding begins.
The State has not yet published the complete financial terms for the 2026 sales. Those details should not be assumed from previous sales and will require review when the formal documents are released.
Existing environmental findings
Alaska’s areawide leasing program allows DNR to offer eligible tracts through recurring sales based on regional best-interest findings that remain valid for up to 10 years.
The current findings were completed in:
Each year, DNR requests information that may justify supplementing those findings. In April 2026, the Division of Oil and Gas determined that it had not received substantial new information requiring changes to the existing findings.
The Northern Center will be reviewing how the State’s existing findings and mitigation measures address current information concerning climate change, permafrost, cumulative development, fish and wildlife habitat, subsistence, community impacts and newly proposed infrastructure.
New seismic information
DNR is also promoting four seismic datasets released in early 2026:
The datasets are available by request through the Alaska Geologic Materials Center’s Seismic & Well Data page. The release notices provide maps, legal descriptions and other identifying information for the surveys.
Connection to the TAPS renewal
The state lease sales are legally separate from the Bureau of Land Management’s review of a proposed 30-year renewal of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System federal right-of-way.
The timing nevertheless places the two processes within the same broader discussion about future North Slope oil development. Alaska is preparing to offer millions of acres for potential exploration while BLM considers continued federal authorization of the principal pipeline used to transport North Slope crude.
BLM has stated that the TAPS renewal is connected to the administration’s efforts to expand access to oil resources in the NPR-A and Arctic Refuge. A complete review of the pipeline’s future should account for reasonably foreseeable production and the cumulative effects of development across federal, state and private lands.
What the Northern Center will be watching
The September 28 sale documents should provide a clearer picture of what Alaska is offering and under what conditions. The Northern Center will be reviewing:
- The final tract lists and maps
- Acreage removed or deferred from the sales
- Proximity to communities, subsistence-use areas, waterways and important habitat
- Minimum bids, royalty rates, annual rents and lease terms
- Applicable mitigation measures
- Any changes from previous lease forms or sale conditions
- Requirements concerning cultural resources and community engagement
- Tracts jointly owned by the State and Arctic Slope Regional Corporation
- Differences between the 2025 and 2026 offerings
The results released in November will show the level of industry interest. Important information will include the number and location of tracts receiving bids, the identities of the bidders, the amount of acreage leased and the revenue generated for the State.
The Northern Center will continue following the sale process and providing updates as the complete terms, tract information and bidding results become available.
Learn more
- Alaska Division of Oil and Gas lease-sale information
https://dog.dnr.alaska.gov/LeaseSale - North Slope lease-sale information
https://dog.dnr.alaska.gov/LeaseSale/SaleArea/North%20Slope - Beaufort Sea lease-sale information
https://dog.dnr.alaska.gov/LeaseSale/SaleArea/Beaufort%20Sea - North Slope Foothills lease-sale information
https://dog.dnr.alaska.gov/LeaseSale/SaleArea/North%20Slope%20Foothills