The US Interior Department proposed on Friday to hold an offshore oil and gas lease sale in Alaska's Cook Inlet early next year, offering about 1.05 million acres (425,000 hectares) for drilling as part of a congressionally mandated leasing program.
The proposed sale, known as Big Beautiful Cook Inlet 2, would make 224 blocks available for leasing and is scheduled for March 3, 2027.
The proposal follows a Cook Inlet sale in March that attracted no industry interest despite the Trump administration's efforts to boost oil and gas development. No bids were submitted for the acreage offered.
The Marine Minerals Administration said the sale is required under US President Donald Trump's 2025 tax bill, which mandates annual Cook Inlet lease sales from 2026 through 2028 and again from 2030 through 2032.
(Reuters - Reporting by Nichola Groom, Editing by Rod Nickel)