The state’s annual North Slope oil and gas lease sale drew brisk bidding that was dominated by small independent companies, some of which were new entrants to Alaska, officials reported on Wednesday.

The Division of Oil and Gas said nine companies submitted a combined $16.97 million in high bids for 271 onshore tracts in the central North Slope.

It was the most tracts sold in a North Slope lease sale since the annual areawide leasing program started in 1999, and it was the highest amount of money submitted in high bids since 2014, when 254 North Slope tracts were sold for $39.85 million.

The sale had offered 3,121 tracts over about 5 million state-owned acres.

In a statement, John Crowther, acting commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, said the sale results show ev

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