WASHINGTON: The Biden administration on Monday, despite pressure from environmentalists, approved a controversial oil drilling project in Alaska Northern slope.
The Department of the Interior gave the green light to US energy giant ConocoPhillips to drill for oil at three sites in the federal government-owned National Petroleum Reserve in pristine western Alaska. Arctic.
During the 2020 presidential race, Joe Biden had vowed not to approve new leases for oil and gas projects on federal lands and his administration has been under intense pressure from environmental groups in recent days not to approve the so-called Willow Project.
Lawmakers in Alaska and other funders of the project defend it as a source of several thousand jobs and a contributor to U.S. energy independence, producing 180,000 barrels of oil per day at its peak, or some 576 million barrels over 30 years. year.
The Department of the Interior gave the green light to US energy giant ConocoPhillips to drill for oil at three sites in the federal government-owned National Petroleum Reserve in pristine western Alaska. Arctic.
During the 2020 presidential race, Joe Biden had vowed not to approve new leases for oil and gas projects on federal lands and his administration has been under intense pressure from environmental groups in recent days not to approve the so-called Willow Project.
Lawmakers in Alaska and other funders of the project defend it as a source of several thousand jobs and a contributor to U.S. energy independence, producing 180,000 barrels of oil per day at its peak, or some 576 million barrels over 30 years. year.
