Oil hunt in Arctic refuge is on hold until at least mid-January, Alaska developer says

In a court filing Thursday, officials with the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority said their plans to explore for oil in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are on hold until at least mid-January as they wait for permission from the federal government. The refuge, located to the east of Prudhoe Bay, is believed to contain vast oil and gas deposits but has been off-limits to development for decades. A bill passed during the first Trump administration mandated an oil and gas lease sale, but work has been paused amid legal challenges. Congress approved additional lease sales last year as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act proposed by Trump. AIDEA’s current exploration plan involves using above-ground vehicles to seismically survey for oil and gas without drilling.

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