Biden administration to back Willow oil project in Alaska -Bloomberg

A ConocoPhillips spokesperson said the company would not comment until an official decision was published. Last month, Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recommended a "preferred alternative" for the $7 billion project that includes three drill sites and less surface infrastructure than originally proposed.

(Adds efforts to reach Interior Department, ConocoPhillips; background) WASHINGTON, March 10 (Reuters) -

President Joe Biden's administration has decided to authorize ConocoPhillips' massive Willow oil project in northwest Alaska, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing two people familiar with the matter. Willow would be located inside the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, a 23 million-acre

(93 million-hectare) area on the state's North Slope that is the largest tract of undisturbed public land in the United States.

Under the plan, ConocoPhillips would be permitted to drill from three locations, Bloomberg said, adding that the approval is set to be released next week. Environmental activists mounted a campaign in the last two weeks, lobbying the administration to reject the project, arguing it conflicted with Biden's promises to combat climate change.

The Interior Department did not comment on the report. A ConocoPhillips spokesperson said the company would not comment until an official decision was published.

Last month, Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recommended a "preferred alternative" for the $7 billion project that includes three drill sites and less surface infrastructure than originally proposed. ConocoPhillips and Alaska elected officials endorsed that version of the project, which BLM said would reduce the impact on habitats for species like polar bears and yellow-billed loons.

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