The US Senate Energy Committee on Wednesday voted in favor of oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Alaska as a part of a broad budget proposal.

Developing the estimated 10.4 billion barrels of oil in the refuge is a key part of the Bush administration's energy plan to boost domestic production. The broad budget bill is expected to be voted on next week at the Senate Budget Committee and at the full Senate the following week.

It will be the year 2015 at the earliest to see oil flow from the refuge if the drilling plan gets the congressional approval this year.

The inclusion of the drilling plan in the broad budget bill is for the sake of blocking the use of filibuster by opponents. The Senate committee voted 13-9 to approve the measure, calling for a bid by Oct. 1, 2010 two oil leases in the coastal plain of the refuge.

The leasing can raise an estimated 2.4 billion US dollars for the federal government.

The Arctic wildlife refuge covers an area of about more than 19 million acres. The drilling plan opens the 1.5 million-acre coastal plain for energy exploration, but no more than 2,000 acres of the surface area for oil production and support facilities.

Environmentalists argue that oil development in the refuge would threaten the habitat of wildlife including polar bears, caribou and migratory birds.

Source: Xinhua