New Estimates and New Technology Make ANWR a Hot Prospect for New Oil
American Petroleum Institute Op-Ed
Americans are using more energy than ever, and the federal government says the nation will need even more in the future.
That’s why the work of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is so important. It provides reliable, impartial information to help us understand our nation’s energy potential.
Earlier this year, USGS presented new estimates of the oil that lies under the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). ANWR sits in the northeast corner of Alaska, between the Arctic Sea on the north and Canada on the east. About the size of South Carolina, ANWR represents just 5 percent of Alaska. Within ANWR, on its northern edge, lies a small coastal plain. Less than 1 percent of that plain, an area about the size of Washington, D.C.’s Dulles International Airport, would be affected by exploration and production activities.
USGS’ new analysis of ANWR’s potential as an energy resource says the coastal plain may hold more oil than it thought—perhaps half again as much as USGS estimated just 10 years ago. Other estimates have said the potential is even greater.
In the past two decades, over 12 billion barrels of oil were produced in Alaska with minimal environmental impact. Over the years, the industry has taken advantage of dramatic technological improvements in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. Development in ANWR would be technologically sophisticated and even more environmentally sensitive.
Technology has continued to reduce the industry’s “footprint”—its impact on the land. For example, exploration is done in winter to minimize disturbance to wildlife. Temporary roads, bridges, drilling sites and runways are made of ice that melts in summer and leaves no lasting damage to the arctic tundra. Seismic data help geologists and geophysicists evaluate the chance of finding oil and natural gas before drilling begins. That reduces the number of wells that have to be drilled. New drilling technologies enable the industry to reach a wider area from a single site.
Exploration and production companies can also design and build facilities that minimize any impact on wildlife. All of these improvements pay off. The data show that the population of snow geese, brant (small, dark geese) and caribou have increased since drilling began.
The industry’s technological advances, its commitment to obeying the laws and regulations that protect the land and the wildlife, and the federal government’s new analysis make ANWR the best prospect for finding oil and natural gas in the United States.
