U.S. approves Alaska oil drilling project

U.S. President Joe Biden has approved the Willow oil and gas drilling project in Alaska, drawing criticism from environmental advocates


Climate groups and Alaska Natives oppose Willow, arguing project will hurt President’s Biden’s climate goals and pose health and environmental risks


ARCTIC OCEAN
Utqiagvik (Barrow) 
Wainwright
Chukchi Sea
National Petroleum Reserve
Brooks Range
Kotzebue
Beaufort Sea
Prudhoe Bay
Willow project
North Slope Borough
Trans-Alaska Pipeline
ALASKA (U.S.)
Yukon River
Kaktovik
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
CANADA
Arctic Circle
Fairbanks
200km 125 miles


Oil flows: Willow could produce 180,000 barrels per day – about 1.5 percent of total U.S. production. Three drill sites approved, including up to 199 wells

Climate impact: Estimated 278 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent generated over project’s 30-year lifetime – equal to adding two million cars to U.S. roads every year


Sources: AP, BBC, CNN, Reuters
Picture: Getty Images 
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