MMS begins work on new five-year OCS leasing program

Petroleum News Alaska

The Minerals Management Service has started the process of preparing a new five-year outer continental shelf oil and gas leasing program for 2002-2007 by soliciting input from interested and affected parties.

The five-year program establishes the size, timing, and location of OCS oil and gas leasing activity for the period it covers.

A 1998 presidential directive withdrew areas of the OCS off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, a portion of the area off Florida in the Gulf of Mexico and the North Aleutian Basin off Alaska from consideration for the 2002-2007 program.

Comments are due by Feb. 1. A draft proposed program will be issued in April, a proposed program and draft environmental impact state in July, a proposed final program and final EIS in January 2002 and approval of the 2002-2007 program in March 2002.

Alaska Region spokeswoman Robin Cacy told PNA that except for the North Aleutian Basin, all of the planning areas off the state will be considered. She said MMS is looking for information from oil companies on areas of interest.

“We’re probably going to have some sales in the Beaufort. Possible other areas include the Chukchi Sea, Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait.” She said that the actual area of each sale will be refined down from the planning area.