The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission appeals the decision of the federal court who in March ruled that ConocoPhillips one of the biggest North Slope oil producer, could keep drilling data confidential.
According to an application that was filed on Wednesday morning, the agency has been contesting the ruling of U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
On March 1, Gleason decided that the federal law overrules the state law that mandates North Slope companies to release public information available.
The goal of the state was to promote exploration on the North Slope, but Gleason concluded that the state’s law must be replaced by federal laws because the relevant information is derived directly from the five wells within the federally-owned National Petroleum Reserve.
ConocoPhillips Alaska is developing part of the reserve in their Willow Project, which is also the subject of litigation in a separate case.
Gleason has determined that the Willow information should be made available at a later date, but only when ConocoPhillips’ contracts with federal authorities run out.
ConocoPhillips brought a suit in the court against the commission in the year 2000 after a failed attempt to get that the government extend its privacy time.
In the early hours of Thursday the appeal of the state was not being considered in the 9th Circuit, and no additional documents were posted on the internet.
