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In a statement posted on its website on Thursday, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) revealed that, “as a result of the order issued by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on November 14”, it has scheduled Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 261 for December 20.
“Pursuant to direction from the Court, BOEM will include lease blocks that were previously excluded due to concerns regarding potential impacts to the Rice’s whale population in the Gulf of Mexico,” BOEM noted in the statement.
“BOEM will also remove portions of a related stipulation meant to address those potential impacts from the lease terms for any leases that may result from lease sale 261,” it added.
“A Final Notice of Sale will be published in the Federal Register on November 20, 2023, and will be available for public inspection on November 17, 2023,” it continued.
BOEM said in the statement that it will live stream the opening of bids at 9 am CDT on December 20.
The Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sale was originally scheduled for September 27 and later scheduled for November 8, in response to judicial orders, BOEM outlined in the statement.
“Energy independence scored an important win … with the Fifth Circuit decision lifting unjustified restrictions on oil and natural gas vessels and restoring acreage for offshore energy development,” Senior Vice President and General Counsel Ryan Meyers said in a statement published on the API’s site earlier this week commenting on the Fifth Circuit decision on lease sale 261.
“The U.S. Gulf of Mexico plays a critical role in maintaining affordable, reliable American energy production, and … [this] decision creates greater certainty for the essential energy workforce and the entire Gulf Coast economy,” he added.
In a statement sent to Rigzone earlier this week commenting on the Fifth Circuit ruling, National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Erik Milito said, “the court’s ruling is a necessary and positive response to an unwarranted decision by the Biden administration”.
“The removal of millions of highly prospective acres, along with the imposition of excessive restrictions, resulted from a voluntary agreement with activist groups that sidestepped legal processes, disregarded scientific considerations, and neglected public input,” he added.
“The escalating geopolitical tensions and instability in various oil-producing regions emphasize the critical role of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. To fortify our national security stance, it is essential to champion strength and support U.S. oil and gas production,” he continued.
“Fully leveraging America’s energy production capabilities, especially our offshore resources, is imperative to address some of our nation’s most pressing challenges,” Milito went on to state.
Rigzone has asked BOEM and the DOI for comment on the Fifth Circuit decision and for comment on the API and NOIA’s statements. While the DOI has declined to comment, BOEM has not yet responded to Rigzone at the time of writing.
The last lease sale that took place in the Gulf of Mexico region was lease sale 259, BOEM’s website shows.
“As required by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, BOEM held Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale 259 on Wednesday March 29, 2023,” BOEM’s site notes.
“BOEM completed its review of Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 259 to ensure the public received fair market value for acreage bid upon during the oil and gas lease sale. Thirty-two companies participated in the sale, and a total of $263.8 million in high bids were offered on 313 tracts,” it adds.
“After extensive geological, geophysical, engineering, and economic analyses, BOEM has awarded a total of 299 leases on tracts covering approximately 1,599,448 acres. The accepted high bids are valued at $250,556,978,” the site states.
To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com
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