On 7 December 2017 the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced seven tracts were preliminarily awarded as a result of the NPR-A 2017 oil & gas lease sale to be held in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). ConocoPhillips Alaska and partner Anadarko were the lone bidders in the sale partnering on the seven tracts. The tracts are located in the low potential area south of the companyâs current acreage position in the Northeast NPR-A some 38 mi (61 km) from the companyâs 2016 Willow oil discovery. ConocoPhillips paid a total of USD 1.16-million on 79,911.29 acres contained in the seven tracts. The per acre bid average for the leases was USD 14.51. ConocoPhillips will operate the leases with a 78% working interest while partner Anadarko will hold the remaining 22% working interest. The lack of interest in the sale was likely due to a majority of the acreage on trend with recent discoveries was not included in the sale, these tracts were removed from future sales by the previous US president in 2013. The current administration will have to review the previous order removing the leases and conduct the necessary environmental reviews before the lands can be included in future sales. A table showing the awarded blocks details has been provided below. NPRA Sale 2017 Preliminary Awards Â  Â  Â  Â  Â  Â  Operator Name Area Contract Bonus USD Acres Per Ac Bid Sq km Sale Award Date ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc NE NPR-A L-079 $170,242.00 11,347.06 15.00 45.92 NPRA Sale 2017 06-Dec-2017 ConocoPhillips Alaska   Inc NE NPR-A L-080 $170,572.00 11,369.30 15.00 46.01 NPRA Sale 2017 06-Dec-2017 ConocoPhillips Alaska   Inc NE NPR-A L-081 $170,182.00 11,347.06 15.00 45.92 NPRA Sale 2017 06-Dec-2017 ConocoPhillips Alaska   Inc NE NPR-A L-083 $150,494.00 11,347.06 13.26 45.92 NPRA Sale 2017 06-Dec-2017 ConocoPhillips Alaska   Inc NE NPR-A L-108 $172,760.00 11,507.68 15.01 46.57 NPRA Sale 2017 06-Dec-2017 ConocoPhillips Alaska   Inc NE NPR-A L-110 $152,707.00 11,507.68 13.27 46.57 NPRA Sale 2017 06-Dec-2017 ConocoPhillips Alaska   Inc NE NPR-A L-111 $172,400.00 11,485.44 15.01 46.48 NPRA Sale 2017 06-Dec-2017 Totals Â  Â  $1,159,357.00 79,911.29 $14.51 323.39 Â  Â  Source: IHS Markit Â  Â  Â  Â  Â  Â  Â  Â©   2017 IHS Markit Â  On 26 October 2017 the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officially announced details for the NPR-A 2017 oil & gas lease sale to be held in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). The sale covered the largest area available for tracts since leasing resumed in 1999. The sale encompassed 10.3-milllion acres (41,683 sq km) out of the 22.8 million acre (92,268 sq km) NPR-A in 900 total tracts. Sealed bids had to be received by 4 p.m. local time on 4 December 2017, at the BLM-Alaska State Office.Â  The BLM opened sealed bids submitted on the tracts offered at 1 p.m. local time on 6 December 2017. The opening of the bids was livestreamed atÂ www.blm.gov/live. The bidding method was a cash bonus bid for each block. The sale includeed acreage not previously available before in the western part of the NPR-A, however the majority of open blocks in the northeastern planning area will not be included as well a good deal of the tracts in the eastern and northern part of the northwestern planning area.Â  Unfortunately the onshore area excluded in the northern part of the Northwestern planning area is immediately south of the Caelus 2016 oil discovery just offshore in Alaskan state waters. The BLM invited nominations and comments on tracts that might be made available in the sale during the summer to gauge industry interest and give conservation groups and other stakeholders an opportunity to provide input to the scope of the sale. Tracts selected for inclusion in the sale was âbased on evaluation of comments received, natural resource information, resource potential, industry interest and subsistence values,â BLM said. Â 
ConocoPhillips (partner Anadarko) ended high bidder for 7 parcels (79 911acres) under the NPR-A 2017 lease sale.B.)) Northwestern