U.S. Lawmakers Call for the End of Arctic Drilling

Climate change concerns have spiralled over the past year, and Arctic oil and gas ventures are pursued as major contributors. In a move that puts the US at the forefront of the anti-Arctic drilling agenda, a group of 68 lawmakers are attempting to force the U.S. Department of Interior to veto two sectors of the Alaskan Arctic Ocean.

They group is targeting Sally Jewell, the department’s Secretary. If they are successful, they’ll convince her to exclude the Chukchi and Beaufort seas from future oil and gas lease sales. Despite the fact that they’re two highly fragile regions, they’re currently approved for drilling under the Obama administration.

A goldmine of oil and gas

And not without reason. Lying beneath the Chukchi Sea is an estimated 15 billion barrels of recoverable oil, as well as 78 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The Beaufort Sea is almost as lucrative, with analysts predicting it houses 8 billion barrels of oil and almost 28 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

To prevent the regions being raped of their natural resources, the 68 strong group has penned an open letter to Secretary Jewell. Fronted by California Democrat Rep. Jared Huffman, the group maintains that protecting the Chukchi and Beaufort areas would have a positive impact on the USA’s climate change goals, and help it adhere to its Paris Agreement commitments.

"Ending oil and gas development in the Arctic would send a powerful international signal that the United States is committed to investing its resources in a climate safe, clean-energy future," reads the strongly worded letter.

Working towards an eco-friendly future

Ultimately, the goal is to inspire the US to take a harder line on fossil fuel ventures, particularly in fragile Arctic areas such as Alaska.

"Scientific consensus tells us that the vast majority of known fossil fuel reserves must be left undeveloped if we are to avoid the worst effects of climate change," the letter went on.

Regardless of where drilling is taking place, oil and gas producers must always align their operations with local laws. For more insight into the latest litigation issues currently in the spotlight, ‘Benzene - It’s Time for Continuous, Real-Time and Specific Monitoring’ offers readers expert commentary from Duncan Johns, Managing Director at Ion Science. He discusses the effect that recently leaked confidential documents will have on lawsuits filed against benzene manufacturers and suppliers, as well as the wider impact on the petrochemical industry as a whole.