Opponents of oil drilling in an Alaskan wildlife refuge are calling on the new Democratic Congress to make a drilling ban permanent.

Oil production in Alaska has long been a concern for environmental campaigners although companies insist safety and the eco-issues are prioritised above profits.

Moves to open up the Alaska wildlife refuge to oil drilling could begin early next year, it emerged today.

The US Senate yesterday sided with environmentalists over the Bush administration’s controversial plans to open up some of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration.