Arctic role

Maturing fields in traditional continental shelves are spurring calls for new acreage in the far north to be opened up to exploration. But there are significant political obstacles to overcome. James Gavin reports

OIL AND GAS development in the Arctic is proving controversial both for governments and energy companies. Broad-based coalitions of environmental lobbyists and politicians are looking to stymie development of new areas in the Alaskan and Norwegian Arctic, fearing that some of the world's last untouched natural habitats will be damaged. Ranged against them are governments under growing pressure from the oil industry to open up new areas for development, as established reservoirs mature. In some cases, that pressure has already borne fruit. The US government announced on 22 January that it will make the entire 8.8m-acre northwest planning area of the Natural Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) av