The moratorium remained unchanged for more than a decade until Alaskan Sen. Ted Stevens spearheaded a successful effort to suspend the moratorium in 2003. In January 2007, President George Bush lifted Clinton's moratorium on leasing the drilling rights in the Aleutian Basin.

The Aleutian Basin is the only shallow-water leasing area currently offered by the Interior Department. Roughly 80% of the area's waters are less than 200 feet deep. The most promising drilling prospects are located in water depths of about 300 feet.