Alaska is considering whether to allow oil and gas exploration on state land near the Yukon River

By James Brooks, Alaska Beacon June 26, 2025

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The Alaska Department of Natural Resources is considering whether or not to open state-owned land near the Yukon River to oil and gas exploration.

In a public notice published in May and renewed June 18, the agency said it “intends to evaluate the acceptability of an oil and gas exploration license proposal for the Yukon Flats area.”

The Yukon Flats cover a vast area of Interior Alaska, and the state’s proposal includes only “unencumbered” state-owned lands, primarily near the Dalton Highway, the town of Livengood, the Steese Highway and the Yukon River town of Circle.

The Yukon Flats are a relatively unexplored region when it comes to oil and gas potential.

This summer, the private oil company Hilcorp is drilling for oil on land owned by the Alaska Native corporation Doyon Ltd.

Historically, the prospect of oil development in the area has been controversial; the Yukon Flats are home to the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, which is home to large amounts of wildlife.

The refuge is not included in the state proposal, and most of the refuge is a significant distance from the state-owned land being considered for oil and gas exploration.

The state’s exploration licensing program requires a public comment period before the DNR commissioner makes a final determination about whether state lands in the Yukon Flats should be open to exploration.

After that determination, interested explorers would be able to submit license applications that would permit them to conduct seismic surveying and test drilling for oil and gas.