US approves oil project in Alaska by ConocoPhillips

Administration of US President Joe Biden March 13 approved an oil production project in Alaska, which is actively criticized by environmental organizations. We are talking about the Willow field in the territory that is part of the lands of the so-called Alaska National Oil Reserve in the north of the state – these lands belong to the federal authorities. The field will be developed by the American oil and gas company ConocoPhillips. The company expects that this field will produce more than 600 million barrels of oil over the next 30 years and that it will bring it about $8 billion.

Conservationists have criticized the new field, in particular, for the fact that burning oil produced in it will release 280 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. They previously launched the #StopWillow campaign on social media. Among other things, they recall that Mr. Biden promised not to give permission for new oil and gas projects on publicly owned lands. “This decision is bad for the climate, bad for the environment, and bad for the Alaska Native communities who opposed and whose voices weren’t heard,” said Christie Goldfuss, director of policy for the NGO Natural Resources Conservation Council.

To soften criticism, the US Department of the Interior on Monday also reportedthat the area of ​​this field will be reduced by about 40% of the requested ConocoPhillips. Also the administration of the President of the United States on March 13 announced on a ban on oil and gas production in certain areas of the outer continental shelf of Alaska.

Yana Rozhdestvenskaya