MMS cancels May 2007 sale 199

Kristen Nelson

The Minerals Management Survey has cancelled its proposed May 2007 Cook Inlet outer continental shelf sale 199.

The agency asked for expressions of interest in the proposed sale from industry in December. MMS Alaska region spokeswoman Robin Cacy said Feb. 21 that the sale was cancelled due to lack of industry interest in the area at this time.

Sale 199 had originally been scheduled for May 2006, and was delayed when the agency received no comments of interest from industry for the 2006 date.

In December the agency said: “If bona fide interest from companies is received, we will proceed with the planning for the sale. If no interest is shown, sale 199 will not be held.” MMS has polled industry twice since scheduling the sale, Cacy said.

Cook Inlet remains under consideration in the upcoming five-year program as a “special interest sale” with sales proposed for 2009 and 2011 pending final decisions on the 2007-12 five-year program, she said.

Cacy said that if Cook Inlet is included as a special interest sale in the upcoming five-year program, “MMS will poll industry annually to gauge industry interest in a sale through the five-year schedule, until one or both sales are held or the schedule expires.”