U.S. federal appeals court rejects Alaska offshore drilling plan

A U.S. federal court blocked an Alaska offshore drilling prospect, while the Trump administration announced plans to auction drilling rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)’s coastal plain, according to AP.

The government granted the Liberty Project approval in October 2018 to become the first oil and gas production well in federal Arctic waters.

However, an appeals court on Monday overturned approval for the Liberty Project, a Hilcorp Alaska LLC offshore drilling prospect located in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska Public Media reported.

Hilcorp became the sole owner of Liberty Project after purchasing BP’s oil and gas production assets in Alaska earlier this year.