A U.S. District Court Judge has denied environmental groups' initial attempts to halt ConocoPhillips' Willow oil project, allowing construction activities to commence. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and Attorney General Treg Taylor commend the decision, citing the project's significant economic benefits for Alaska through job creation and tax revenue. This major proposal, which could produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil daily, continues to face legal challenges and opposition from environmentalists who argue it contradicts climate goals, while also drawing support as an economic lifeline.
The Biden administration opted not to defend the halted Willow Project after a federal court rejected its permits in August 2021, aligning with Earthjustice and its clients. The court ruled that the government had not adequately considered the project’s climate impacts. This decision marks a significant blow to the proposed fossil fuel drilling in the Western Arctic.
The U.S. Department of Interior issued a final supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for ConocoPhillips’ Willow project, advancing its approval despite environmentalists' warnings. Earthjustice and the Native Village of Nuiqsut are concerned the project will significantly harm the Arctic ecosystem, causing pollution, disrupting migration, eroding habitat, and generating substantial greenhouse gas emissions. The plan includes extensive infrastructure in Alaska's Western Arctic.
The Biden administration is evaluating the approval of ConocoPhillips Alaska's Willow oil project on Alaska's North Slope, with a decision expected by early March. This major proposal, which could produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil daily, is seen by supporters as an economic lifeline for Indigenous communities. Environmentalists, however, argue it contradicts President Biden's climate goals.
The Biden administration is expected to approve ConocoPhillips’ Willow Project, a major oil drilling initiative on Alaska’s North Slope, according to a congressional source. This decision is considered a victory for Alaska's bipartisan congressional delegation and some Alaska Native tribes, but a major blow to climate groups and other Alaska Natives. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that no final decision had been made by the Department of the Interior.
The Biden administration formally approved the $8 billion ConocoPhillips Willow Project in Alaska, despite previous pledges to move away from fossil fuels. The approval included modifications, reducing the number of drill sites and requiring ConocoPhillips to relinquish leases for 68,000 acres to create a buffer for caribou migratory routes. This decision follows a federal judge throwing out Trump-era permits in 2021 due to environmental impact assessment flaws.
The Biden Administration approved ConocoPhillips' immense Willow oil project in Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve, despite President Biden's prior campaign pledge against new drilling on federal lands. The project is estimated to produce 575 million barrels of oil over 30 years and has drawn criticism from environmentalists like Al Gore and politicians such as Senator Jeff Merkley. This decision raises concerns about its impact on climate goals and perceived policy reversals.
Lawsuits have been filed in federal court in Alaska to halt the Willow oil project. These legal challenges could potentially delay the project's activities. The outcome will impact the timeline of this significant oil development.
A revised estimate by the Alaska Department of Revenue projects a more positive financial outlook for the state treasury from ConocoPhillips' Willow oil project, with payoffs expected by 2030, years earlier than prior analyses. The new analysis suggests the state will more than break even before the end of the first decade, avoiding an earlier predicted $1 billion deficit. Department experts presented this improved forecast to legislators.
A U.S. District Court Judge denied environmental groups' initial attempts to halt the Willow Project, allowing construction activities to commence. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and Attorney General Treg Taylor hailed the decision, emphasizing its economic benefits for Alaska through job creation and tax revenue. The court's ruling supports the project's continuation despite ongoing legal challenges.
U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason in Alaska upheld the Biden administration’s approval of ConocoPhillips’ $7.5 billion Willow oil development, projected to yield 600 million barrels of oil. This ruling is a setback for environmental groups concerned about wildlife and climate change impacts. ConocoPhillips can now continue developing the project within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.
A federal court, led by Judge Sharon Gleason, upheld the Biden administration's approval of ConocoPhillips' Willow oil project in Alaska despite objections from environmentalists. This ruling allows ConocoPhillips to proceed with drilling for an estimated 576 million barrels of oil over 30 years. The decision enables the company to move forward with its construction plans for the project.
A federal court judge in Anchorage dismissed two lawsuits challenging ConocoPhillips' Willow oil project, allowing construction to proceed. The ruling stated plaintiffs failed to prove government errors in approving the project, despite environmental groups planning an appeal. This decision has significant economic implications for Alaska and environmental impacts globally.
A federal judge upheld the Biden administration’s approval of the massive Willow oil drilling project on Alaska’s North Slope. U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason rejected requests from environmental and Iñupiat groups to vacate the approval. Environmental groups swiftly vowed to fight the decision, impacting future development of the project.
Earthjustice filed an appeal with a federal appellate court to overturn the Willow Project’s permits and pause its construction, following a lower court's decision favoring ConocoPhillips and the Biden administration. The organization deems the project catastrophic for the climate due to massive greenhouse gas emissions. This appeal demonstrates persistent public opposition and legal challenges against the Arctic oil drilling endeavor.
Earthjustice attorneys appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to vacate permits for the Willow Project in Alaska, arguing the federal government failed to comply with environmental laws. This legal action aims to prevent construction of the large oil development planned in a region important for caribou. The appeal signifies an ongoing effort to halt the expansion of the fossil fuel industry.
The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that the Department of the Interior unlawfully approved ConocoPhillips’ Willow oil-drilling project in Alaska's Western Arctic, reversing an earlier decision. This means the Bureau of Land Management must now reconsider the project, as its approval violated the National Environmental Policy Act. The ruling represents a significant legal victory for environmental groups challenging the project.
A federal appeals court upheld the Biden administration’s approval of the Willow oil project on Alaska’s North Slope, despite identifying a minor flaw in the review process. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the approval could stand, allowing ConocoPhillips to continue developing the massive oil field. This decision allows the project, expected to produce up to 180,000 barrels per day, to proceed despite environmental and Native group challenges.
The Biden administration is reportedly set to approve ConocoPhillips’ Willow Project, a major oil drilling initiative in Alaska, according to a congressional source. This decision would be welcomed by Alaska’s bipartisan congressional delegation and some Alaska Native groups, but opposed by climate groups and other Alaska Natives. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre denied a final decision had been made, emphasizing the Interior Department’s independent review.
A new report from the Alaska Department of Revenue projects the state treasury will receive 50% less revenue from the Willow oil project than previously estimated, totaling $2.6 billion between 2029 and 2053. The revised forecast indicates that ConocoPhillips, the project's operator, would gain more in state-paid tax credits than it generates in tax revenue for Alaska. This significant reduction alters the financial outlook for the state from the project.
Conservation groups and an Iñupiat-led grassroots organization filed a lawsuit to overturn the Trump administration’s approval of ConocoPhillips’ winter seismic and exploration drilling program in Alaska's Western Arctic. The lawsuit alleges the Bureau of Land Management approved the program without addressing its harm to wildlife and sensitive ecosystems near the Willow project. This legal challenge aims to prevent industrial traffic and seismic testing that could detect oil deposits.
ConocoPhillips announced that its planned winter oil-drilling campaign in Alaska, part of the Willow project, will continue despite a major rig accident. The Doyon 26 rig toppled on the North Slope, injuring eight people and potentially spilling 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel. ConocoPhillips plans to use a substitute rig to ensure no delays in its exploration activities.
The North Slope village of Nuiqsut filed a lawsuit challenging the Department of Interior's cancellation of an agreement that protected land around Teshekpuk Lake within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska from oil and gas development. This agreement, initially made to mitigate the Willow project's impact on caribou, was deemed improperly issued by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and subsequently canceled. The lawsuit seeks to restore Nuiqsut's rights over the area, impacting the relationship between indigenous communities and federal land management.
Nuiqsut Trilateral Inc., an Inupiat group, sued the Trump administration in U.S. District Court over the cancellation of a 2024 right-of-way agreement protecting the Teshekpuk Lake area and its caribou herd. The lawsuit, filed in Washington, D.C., alleges the cancellation violated subsistence rights crucial to the region's Indigenous people. This action impacts the vital Arctic ecosystem and its traditional users.
Oil companies, including Hilcorp, ConocoPhillips, Repsol, and Exxon, bid a record-setting $163.7 million in a federal lease sale on Alaska’s North Slope, spurred by momentum from the Willow project. The Bureau of Land Management offered 625 tracts across 5.5 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. This sale is the first of five mandated over the next decade by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, opening 82% of the reserve to development.
ConocoPhillips Alaska reported positive developments in its first-quarter conference call, highlighting successes with the Willow project, exploration, and gravel operations. This news indicates progress and potential growth for the company's Alaskan ventures. The developments contribute to the ongoing energy landscape in Alaska.
The Biden administration approved the Willow Arctic oil project on Alaska's North Slope, marking the state's largest oil and gas development in decades. This decision allows ConocoPhillips to proceed with extracting significant oil reserves. The approval has significant environmental and economic implications for Alaska and the broader energy sector.
The Biden Administration defended Alaska’s Willow Project in court, stating that the Department of Justice determined the project's Record of Decision, finalized under the Trump administration, to be legally sufficient after review. This press release from a congressional office highlights the administration's legal stance on the controversial oil project. It underscores the ongoing federal involvement in the project's legal status.