Scheduled to begin in March of 2016, the proposed Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 241 and Eastern Planning Area Lease Sale 226 will be the ninth and tenth offshore sales respectively under the US Government’s Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017.
The program makes available all offshore areas with the highest resource potential. Till date, the lease sales offered more than 60 million acres for development.
Under the sale 241, BOEM will offer about 8,349 unleased blocks, covering 44.3 million acres, located offshore Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, in water depths ranging from 3ft to more than 11,115ft.
Additionally, sale 226 comprises 162 whole or partial unleased blocks covering about 595,475 acres in the Eastern Planning Area. The blocks are located in water depths ranging from 2,657ft to 10,213ft.
The lease sales are a part of the US Government’s strategy to expand domestic energy production.
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management director Abigail Ross Hopper said: "These lease sales continue the President’s commitment to create jobs through the safe and responsible exploration and development of the Nation’s domestic energy resources.
"As an important component of the US energy portfolio, the Gulf of Mexico holds vast energy resources that can continue to spur economic opportunities for Gulf producing states as well as further reduce the Nation’s dependence on foreign oil."
Image: The US’ outer continental shelf oil and gas leasing program makes available all offshore areas with the highest resource potential. Photo: courtesy of num_skyman/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
