ConocoPhillips Sues Over Biden Arctic Plan That Thwarts Drilling

ConocoPhillips sued to block a Biden administration ban on drilling across nearly half the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, claiming the measure violates a federal law that compels oil development there.

The lawsuit filed Friday takes aim at an Interior Department rule that explicitly bars oil leasing on 10.6 million acres (4.3 million hectares) of the 23-million-acre reserve, while restricting future oil development in 13 million acres designated as “special areas.”

The case will test one of President Joe Biden’s biggest moves to limit oil development on federal land, amid appeals by climate activists who warn it’s incompatible with a ...