Definition of Alaska Petroleum Development Regions

Summary

Branch: Executive

Category: Executive Agency Publications

SuDoc Class Number: I 72.

Government Author: Interior Department, Bureau of Land Management

Personal Author: Peat; Marwick; Mitchell and Company

Series Title: BOEM Environmental Studies

Publication Title: Definition of Alaska Petroleum Development Regions

Date Issued: 1978

Subject: Administration; boundaries; dimensions and entity referencing
Gulf of Alaska; Kodiak; Cook Inlet; Shumagin; Aleutian Arc; North Aleutian Basin; St George Basin; St Matthew Hall; Bowers Basin; Aleutian Basin; Navarin Basin; Norton Basin; Hope Basin; Chukchi Sea; Beaufort Sea; Alaska; Socioeconomics; Lease Sale; Exploratory Drilling; Development; Impacts; Human Population; Scenarios; Alaska Region

Obligation Number: 14-12-0001-29002 TR-001

Geographic Scope: Alaska

CSE Reference: Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Company. 1978. Definition of Alaska petroleum development regions. US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 81 p. Obligation No.: 14-12-0001-29002 TR-001. URL: https://espis.boem.gov/Final%20Reports/1684.pdf

Abstract: The Alaska Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Socioeconomic Studies Program (SESP) was designed to project socioeconomic changes resulting from present and future oil and gas development in identified OCS lease sale regions. Assessment of these changes requires collection and evaluation of both newly acquired and currently available data covering a broad range of topics and drawn from different areas of the State. In order to better focus upon the immediate efforts of the Program, it was necessary to define a single set of geographical areas within which new data were to be collected and currently available data were to be arranged for comparative purposes. The single consideration was that the resulting set of spatial boundaries encompass causes and socioeconomic effects of OCS-induced change. Areas contained within these spatial boundaries constituted "Petroleum Development Regions." In the absence of demarcation of such regions, this study was implemented as a means of outlining how regions were defined, summarizing the substance of the data compilation and comparisons, and identifying the conclusions derived. The method used to define Petroleum Development Regions utilized only readily available data and was based on an analysis of the relationship of OCS development to existing social and economic systems. The lack of thoroughly analyzed data early in the study constrained subsequent discussions and necessitated the formulation of several assumptions. The discussion began with a characterization of offshore development and its anticipated onshore activities. The general character of social and economic systems in Alaska, as well as the manner in which existing data collection boundaries might represent these systems, was also outlined. The discussion concluded with a brief explanation of the regional analysis process and data used to define individual Regions. In the final chapter, selected boundaries and major characteristics (e.g., major hydrologic and topographic features, population characteristics, patterns of community interaction, and governance boundaries) have been presented for each Region.