The U.S. Interior Department announced a conditional permit for Hilcorp Alaska LLC’s Liberty Project, the first oil and gas production facility in federal waters off Alaska, according to an Oct. 24 press release. The company proposes to construct a nine-acre artificial gravel island in the Beaufort Sea about 20 miles east of Prudhoe Bay and five miles off the coast, similar to four producing islands that currently operate in the state waters. The agency said the project will be subject to stringent conditions including restrictions to drilling which may occur only during periods of solid ice conditions, as well as seasonal restrictions on drilling and vessel traffic to prevent disturbance to subsistence whaling activities. The approval is subject to receiving permits from other state and federal agencies. The move is part of the Trump administration’s aggressive push for oil and gas development under its energy dominance agenda. Hilcorp Alaska LLC is a subsidiary of Hilcorp Energy Company.