BOEM’s Alaska OCS Region
Managing the wealth of natural resources on Alaska’s Outer Continental Shelf
Alaska’s Outer Continental Shelf is enormous: at 1.3 billion acres, about 65 percent of the size of the entire contiguous U.S. That expanse comprises immense energy and mineral resources. Alaska’s OCS is estimated to contain 24.69 billion barrels of oil, 124.03 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 3,800 gigawatts of potential wind, tidal and wave energy. As an important partner in America’s energy security and overall Arctic security, we are committed to managing the development of these natural resources in an environmentally and economically responsible way.
Mission
To manage development of U.S. Outer Continental Shelf energy, mineral, and geological resources in an environmentally and economically responsible way.
The Latest
- One of Alaska’s largest funders of marine science, BOEM’s Alaska OCS Region is testing a new approach to studying sea otter populations. The approach uses an AI-powered technique that promises to be safer, more efficient and less visible to the otters themselves.
- Alaska is incredibly rich in renewable resources. At 11 a.m. Thursday, May 23, Givey Kochanowski, director of BOEM's Alaska OCS Region, will serve on a panel titled "Diversifying Alaska’s Energy Portfolio: Exporting Renewable Energy from Cook Inlet" at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference. "Southcentral Alaska
- BOEM is deploying innovative strategies to modernize our data by utilizing Open-Source Software (OSS), automation, and the fundamentals of computer programming.
- Staff members at the Bureau of Ocean Energy’s Alaska OCS Region had the opportunity to work with fifth- and sixth-graders from all over Anchorage at Outdoor Week 2024, held by the Bureau of Land Management’s Campbell Creek Science Center here May 7-10.
Givey Kochanowski
Givey Kochanowski is a member of the Senior Executive Service and regional director for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Alaska Outer Continental Shelf Region
Announcements
- Kochanowski will oversee the responsible management of offshore energy and mineral resources on the U.S.
- BOEM held Cook Inlet Oil and Gas Lease Sale 258 as directed by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
- BOEM is accepting sealed bids for oil and gas leases until 10 a.m. Alaska Time on Thursday, Dec. 29.
It can vary a bit in other places; but in Alaska, the OCS is the submerged land that lies more than three nautical miles from shore. So if an energy or marine-mining company wants to develop any of those areas – for example, build a wind-turbine farm, or explore for natural gas – we are the agency they work with. (The submerged lands within three miles of Alaska’s shores are state waters, and are regulated by the State of Alaska.)
