In a launch posted on its web site lately, the U.S. Division of the Inside (DOI) introduced the eleventh nationwide outer continental shelf oil and gasoline leasing program.
The DOI revealed within the launch that the Secretary of the Inside, Doug Burgum, had directed the Bureau of Ocean Vitality Administration (BOEM) “to provoke step one in a strong public engagement course of to develop a brand new schedule for offshore oil and gasoline lease gross sales on the U.S. outer continental shelf”.
In its launch, the DOI mentioned BOEM will quickly publish within the Federal Register a Request for Info and Feedback on the preparation of the eleventh nationwide OCS oil and gasoline leasing program, including that this publication will provoke a forty five day public remark interval and function the preliminary step within the multi yr planning course of.
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As mandated by the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the Division of the Inside should solicit enter from and affected events throughout improvement of the nationwide OCS program, the DOI said in its launch.
“As soon as finalized, the eleventh nationwide OCS program will exchange the present tenth program (2024–2029), which incorporates simply three lease gross sales over 5 years – all positioned within the Gulf of America,” the DOI highlighted within the launch.
“Whereas BOEM continues work to finish these gross sales, improvement of the eleventh program will proceed concurrently,” it mentioned.
The DOI famous in its launch that the RFI doesn’t suggest a particular timeline for future lease gross sales or make any early determinations relating to which areas could also be included.
“As an alternative, it invitations stakeholders to supply perception and proposals for leasing alternatives, elevate issues, and determine different present makes use of which may be affected by offshore leasing,” it highlighted.
The DOI said in its launch that BOEM’s jurisdiction on the OCS has lately modified.
“A brand new planning space offshore Alaska – the Excessive Arctic – is being established because the twenty seventh OCS planning space,” the DOI mentioned within the launch.
“Moreover, boundaries of different present planning areas are being up to date to align with BOEM’s revised jurisdiction,” it added.
Within the DOI launch, Burgum mentioned, “launching the method to develop the eleventh nationwide outer continental shelf program marks a decisive step towards securing American vitality dominance”.
The DOI described the OCS as a “important nationwide useful resource” in its launch. As of April 1, 2025, BOEM manages 2,227 lively oil and gasoline leases overlaying roughly 12.1 million acres in OCS areas, the DOI highlighted within the launch, including that, of those, 469 leases are at the moment producing oil and gasoline.
“These leases generate billions of {dollars} in income for the U.S. treasury and state governments whereas supporting lots of of hundreds of American jobs,” the DOI mentioned in its launch.
“In fiscal yr 2024 alone, manufacturing from OCS leases accounted for roughly 14 p.c of home oil manufacturing and two p.c of home pure gasoline manufacturing, yielding $7 billion in federal revenues,” it added.
The DOI introduced a “vital enhance in estimated oil and gasoline reserves within the Gulf of America outer continental shelf”, in a press release posted on its website lately.
In a press release posted on its website earlier this month, the DOI mentioned Burgum had “directed the Bureau of Ocean Vitality Administration to carry the following scheduled oil and gasoline lease sale within the Gulf of America” and revealed that BOEM anticipates publishing a proposed discover of sale in June 2025.
In a press release despatched to Rigzone on Friday, Nationwide Ocean Industries Affiliation (NOIA) President Erik Milito mentioned, “we applaud Secretary Burgum and the administration for taking decisive motion to launch the eleventh nationwide outer continental shelf oil and gasoline leasing program”.
“The Gulf of America – and the broader American offshore – performs a necessary function in powering the nation, contributing almost $33 billion to the U.S. financial system annually, supporting near 400,000 jobs, and reinforcing our vitality safety,” he added.
“We sit up for working intently with policymakers to advance this course of and safe a robust, dependable vitality future for all People,” Milito went on to state.
To contact the writer, e-mail andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com
