The Draft Proposed Program (DPP) consists of 14 potential lease sales in eight planning areas. Of these, ten are in the Gulf of Mexico, three off the coast of Alaska, and one in a portion of the Mid and South Atlantic.
Before the program is finalized, the public will have several opportunities to provide input, claimed DOI.
The Secretary of the Interior will prepare a five-year program, which consists of a schedule of potential oil and gas lease sales, under the OCS Lands Act.
The draft strategy indicates the size, timing and location of the planned leasing activity in order to meet national energy requirements.
US Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said: "The safe and responsible development of our nation’s domestic energy resources is a key part of the president’s efforts to support American jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
"This is a balanced proposal that would make available nearly 80% of the undiscovered technically recoverable resources, while protecting areas that are simply too special to develop."
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management manages around 6,000 active OCS leases that cover over 32 million acres.
