Oil and Gas Lease Sales Announced in Michigan, Louisiana
FALLS CHURCH, Va. — The Bureau of Land Management on Monday announced that competitive oil and gas lease sales in Michigan and Louisiana will be held online on Thursday, June 29, 2023.
The agency will offer one parcel in Michigan totaling 40 acres and three parcels in Louisiana totaling 88.81 acres.
In doing so it notes that the parcels were the subject of two environmental assessments with multiple opportunities for public engagement.
Monday’s notice of the sale also starts the clock on a 30-day protest period that closes on Wednesday, June 14.
The sale notice, environmental review documents and additional information including instructions for submitting a protest for the Michigan parcel are available here.
The same information for the Louisiana parcel is available here.
The notice incorporates recommendations from the Interior Department’s Report on the Federal Oil and Gas Leasing Program, as well as other reports issued by the Government Accountability Office and the Congressional Budget Office.
All parcels that are leased as part of an oil and gas lease sale include appropriate protections and stipulations to protect natural and cultural resources.
As authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act, the bureau will apply a 16.67% royalty rate for any new leases from this sale. More information about the act is available on BLM’s online fact sheet.
Leasing is the first step in the process to develop federal oil and gas resources.
Before development operations can begin, an operator must submit an application for a permit to drill detailing development plans.
The BLM will then review the application, post it for public review, conduct an environmental analysis, and coordinate with state partners and stakeholders.
Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue
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