The proposed Lease Sale 247, which is slated to take place in March 2017, will be the 12th and final Gulf offshore sale under the US Administration’s Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017.
According to the BOEM, the latest sale will include acres offshore Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama as well as all available unleased areas in the Central Planning Area (CPA).
US BOEM director Abigail Ross Hopper said: “As one of the most productive basins in the world, the Gulf of Mexico remains an important component of our domestic energy strategy to create jobs, foster economic opportunities, and reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil.
“The exploration and development of the Gulf of Mexico’s energy resources will continue to help power our nation and drive our economy.”
The sale comprises approximately 9,118 blocks in water depths ranging from 9ft to more than 11,115ft.
The eleven sales held earlier under the current Five Year Program has generated more than $3bn for taxpayers, helping US’ effort to increase domestic oil and gas production.
BOEM said that the lease sale decision follows extensive environmental analysis, public comment and consideration scientific information available.
Recently, the US government has banned future oil and gas drilling in federal waters in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans to protect the ecologically sensitive marine environments from the impacts of potential oil and gas exploration and development in the areas.
