U.S. Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico OCS Region

MMS Issues Multisale Process for Gulf of Mexico Sales

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) published a notice in the September 12^th Federal Register requesting information for ten tentatively scheduled Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lease sales in the Western and Central Gulf of Mexico in the proposed 2002 – 2007 leasing program.  Western Sales 184, 187, 192, 196 and 200, as well as Central Sales 185, 190, 194, 198 and 201, are covered in this multisale Call for Information and Nominations (Call).  The Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) covers all sales except Western Gulf Sale 184.

The proposed sale areas will consider all available unleased acreage, with certain small exceptions, in the Gulf of Mexico, offshore Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and portions of Alabama.

This is the third issuance of a multisale Call by MMS for proposed Gulf of Mexico (GOM) sales.  The multisale EIS process was used for Central and Western GOM sales in the previous 5-Year Program (1997 – 2002).  It is the first multisale Call to be issued for the new proposed 5-Year Program (2002 – 2007).

"As always, we seek an open and frank exchange of views and information as we identify the issues and concerns in these areas," said MMS Acting Director, Tom Kitsos.  "This open process allows the federal and state governments to gain an in-depth understanding and benefit from the involvement of all the parties."

Kitsos said that after this first step in the process, there will be complete National Environmental Policy Act, OCS Lands Act, and Coastal Zone Management Act coverage for each sale.  MMS will prepare an environmental assessment for Western GOM Sale 184, tiering off the previous multi-sale EIS for Western GOM sales.  A draft multisale EIS for the remaining nine sales is expected to be published in April 2002 and a final EIS published in November 2002.

MMS is the federal agency in the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages the nation's oil, natural gas and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf in federal offshore waters.  The agency also collects, accounts for and disburses mineral revenues from federal and Indian leases.  These disbursements totaled nearly $8 billion last year and more than $110 billion since the agency was created in 1982.  Annually, nearly $1 billion from those revenues go into the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the acquisition and development of state and federal park and recreation lands.

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MMS's Website Address: http://www.mms.gov