US President Donald Trump’s administration has rescinded limits in Alaska on oil and gas drilling, Reuters reported on November 13.

The announcement revokes prohibitions on drilling in what had been the US’s largest area of undisturbed public land.

Ex-President Joe Biden had finalized regulation in April 2024 that forbid oil and gas drilling and mining in Alaska. The move at that time was part of the Biden administration’s attempts to conserve 30% of US land and water to fight climate change.

Under Biden’ts rule, 10.6mn acres located in the National Petroleum Reserve were prohibited from being leased for oil and gas drilling, while development was prohibited on another 2mn acres.

"By rescinding the 2024 rule, we are following the direction set by President Trump to unlock Alaska’s energy potential, create jobs for North Slope communities and strengthen American energy security," Doug Burgum, US Interior Secretary said in a statement.

"This action restores common-sense management and ensures responsible development benefits for both Alaska and the nation," Burgum added.

Trump’s move comes as no surprise, as the 47th US President continuously expressed enthusiasm to “drill, baby, drill” during the election period if he was elected to another term.

Immediately after taking office, Trump declared a national energy emergency and introduced a plethora of measures to boost the industry, including swiftly revoking the “pause” on authorising LNG exports to countries with which the US does not have a free-trade agreement (FTA). 

Trump’s executive order forming the National Energy Dominance Council, which aims to expand US oil and natural gas production, was another key step taken to improve the business climate for the oil and natural gas industry.

Among the regions, the Trump administration has focused on to improve energy production has been Alaska. In particular, Trump has been an enthusiastic advocate for the revival of the Alaska LNG megaproject, hosting a conference in June to woo buyers from key Asian LNG importing markets including Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.