The US government announced it will auction oil and gas exploration rights on the outer continental shelf off of Alaska on February 6.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) said it will be its first oil and gas lease sale in the Chukchi Sea since 1991.

The Chukchi Sea, which separates Alaska and Siberia, is considered one of the last areas in North America with potential for a significant source for oil and gas. The MMS estimates that the area could hold 15bn barrels of recoverable oil and over two trillion cubic metres of natural gas.

But environmental groups fear the effects on wildlife in the region, including the polar bear population.

The Minerals Management Service says exploration will not be allowed to take place any closer than 80km (50 miles) from the shoreline, therefore striking a balance between development and protection of coastal resources.

But ecologists say any further exploration could have a major impact on marine life, with polar bears one of the hardest-hit species.

The Chukchi Sea is home to one of two populations of polar bears in the US, and their numbers have already been depleted by loss of habitat due to global warming.

Many protestors are angry at the timing of the announcement, which comes days before the US Fish and Wildlife Service decides whether to list the polar bear as a threatened species.

Posted: 01|3|08 at 1:37 pm. Filed under: US News.