Hilcorp

Trump plans to protect methane-leaking stripper wells, which will benefit Jeffery Hildebrand, owner of Hilcorp, a major Trump donor. Hilcorp, known for operating low-producing oil wells with high methane emissions, has received regulatory relief through Trump's appointment of a former Hilcorp lobbyist to the EPA.

The US is set to hold an oil and gas lease sale in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, with opponents citing climate change impacts and prior lack of industry interest, while supporters argue it could boost production and jobs. Conservation groups have urged major companies like ConocoPhillips and Hilcorp to avoid participating due to legal risks and public opposition, though the Trump administration has mandated lease sales in multiple Alaskan regions. The USGS estimates the refuge's coastal plain may hold significant oil reserves, but drilling remains inactive there.