The Bureau of Ocean Power Administration introduced the publication of a Proposed Discover of Sale (PNOS) for an oil and fuel lease sale within the Gulf of America.
As directed by Secretary of the Inside and outlined within the PNOS, Lease Sale 262 will supply roughly 15,000 unleased blocks positioned 3 to 231 miles offshore throughout the Gulf’s Western, Central, and Jap Planning Areas. Protecting roughly 80 million acres, these blocks are located in water depths starting from 9 toes to greater than 11,100 toes (3 to three,400 meters).
This sale is the primary of three deliberate lease gross sales within the Gulf of America underneath the 2024–2029 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Fuel Leasing Program. BOEM can be within the technique of growing a brand new Nationwide Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Fuel Leasing Program that may embody extra leasing alternatives.
“Offshore oil and fuel play a significant function in our nation’s vitality portfolio, with the Gulf of America supplying 14% of domestically produced oil,” mentioned BOEM’s Principal Deputy Director Matt Giacona. “This proposed lease sale demonstrates BOEM’s dedication to advancing American Power Dominance and fostering the manufacturing of reasonably priced, dependable vitality assets for the nation.”
The Gulf of America Outer Continental Shelf spans roughly 160 million acres and is estimated to comprise round 48 billion barrels of undiscovered, recoverable oil and 141 trillion cubic toes of pure fuel.
Leases awarded by way of Lease Sale 262 will likely be for oil and fuel exploration and growth solely. Sure areas could also be excluded from this lease sale, together with blocks topic to the Sept. 8, 2020, presidential withdrawal, blocks adjoining to or past the U.S. Unique Financial Zone within the northern portion of the Jap Hole, and blocks inside the present boundaries of the Flower Backyard Banks Nationwide Marine Sanctuary.
“To help sturdy business participation, decrease manufacturing prices, and unleash the complete potential of the Gulf of America’s offshore vitality reserves, BOEM is proposing a royalty charge of 16 ⅔ % for each shallow and deepwater leases—the bottom charge for deepwater since 2007,” mentioned BOEM’s Performing Regional Director for the GOA Laura Robbins.
The Discover of Availability for the PNOS will likely be accessible for public inspection within the Federal Register on June 26, 2025, and can formally be revealed on June 27, 2025.
The publication of the PNOS will provoke a 60-day remark interval for the affected state governors and native governments. Following the remark interval, BOEM will challenge a Remaining Discover of Sale within the Federal Register not less than 30 days earlier than the scheduled public bid studying, which will likely be stay streamed by way of Zoom. The lease sale bid studying is proposed for December 10, 2025.
Extra data, together with the PNOS package deal and an in depth map of the proposed lease sale space, is obtainable right here.
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