www.AlaskaAlliance.com 21 receive the benefits from responsible energy development.” According to the BLM, the Willow project is projected to deliver $8 billion to $17 billion in new revenue for the federal government, the state of Alaska and Alaska Native communities. When completed, the new field is estimated to produce approximately 600 million barrels across the lifetime of the project, decreasing American dependence on foreign energy supplies. Willow underwent five years of rigorous regulatory and environmental reviews by federal and state agencies. The project is designed to support and coexist with subsistence activities on Alaska’s North Slope. ConocoPhillips said the project will use materials primarily made and sourced in the U.S. and has the potential to create over 2,500 construction jobs and approximately 300 long-term jobs in the state. “We are grateful for the many supporters who advocated for Willow. Alaska Native communities and groups, especially those closest to the project on the North Slope, continually provided input that helped shape this project. We also appreciate the unwavering support from Alaska’s bipartisan Congressional Delegation — Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and Representative Mary Peltola — the state legislature and organized labor groups,” Lance added. “Our employees and the contractor community have dedicated years to designing a project that will provide reliable energy while adhering to the highest environmental standards,” he said. Willow is in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, or NPR-A, a 23-million-acre federal enclave west of producing fields on the North Slope, which are on state of Alaska lands. The NPR-A covers a huge expanse of land in the western part of the North Slope but only the northeast part of the reserve is considered to have high potential for major oil and gas discoveries. U.S. President Warren Harding created the reserve in 1923 as Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4 to assure a supply of oil for the U.S. Navy, which at the time was converting its ships from coal to oil. At the time, no oil had been found in the area, but federal geologists felt the region had potential based on the geology and oil seeps that had been detected. No exploration or drilling actually was done until after World War II when the Navy undertook an extensive program. That resulted in the discovery of a small oil field at Umiat, at the southeastern border of the reserve, and a gas field at Barrow (now (Utqiagvik) which still supplies fuel for power generation to that Inupiat community. In 1976 reserve was transferred from the Navy to the BLM, and in the 1980s exploration by private companies using modern technology was allowed. It still took several decades before significant discoveries were made. Willow is the largest and most important of these. — Tim Bradner CONTINUED from PAGE 19 A great Safety Award or Retirement Gift! AVAILABLE IN BOTH HARDBOUND AND SOFT COVER EDITIONS (907) 223-4704 | judypatrickphotography.com Also available in bulk quantities! A COFFEE TABLE PHOTO BOOK OF ALASKA’S NORTH SLOPE OIL PATCH ON SALE NOW!
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