"offshore drilling"

The draft plan includes the Arctic, but also waters where Alaskans haven’t contemplated oil development for many years, if ever.

The federal government is moving forward with its review of Hilcorp’s proposal to drill offshore for oil in the Arctic.

President Barack Obama has designated the bulk of U.S.-owned waters in the Arctic Ocean and certain areas in the Atlantic Ocean as indefinitely off limits to future oil and gas leasing.

“At first blush it does appear the federal government is creating additional cumbersome regulations that will make it more challenging to entice companies back to the Arctic when oil prices rebound,” said an Alaska Oil and Gas Association representative.

Fairbanks scientist Eugénie Euskirchen says most of her colleagues think offshore drilling could be bad for the Arctic.

Inside, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, was holding one of 10 public meetings around the state to get input on potential offshore lease sales.