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March 2007

Vol. 12, No. 10 Week of March 11, 2007

MMS begins study for eastern Gulf lease sale

Ray Tyson

For Petroleum News

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service has begun the planning process to gather information and conduct an environmental review of a small portion of the federal waters in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico Planning Area, with the publication of a notice in the Federal Register.

The notice serves two purposes: as an information-gathering step to ensure that all interests and concerns regarding oil and gas leasing, exploration and development resulting from the proposed sale are communicated to MMS; and, to solicit input to develop the supplemental environmental impact statement, which will update the environmental and socioeconomic analyses conducted for the EIS that was completed in 2001 for the original Sale 181 area.

The area covered by the notice encompasses about 134 unleased blocks covering approximately 500,000 acres. The proposed sale, termed Lease Sale 224 and tentatively scheduled for early 2008, was mandated by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, signed by President Bush in December 2006.

The sale will include a small part of the EGOM Planning Area, more than 125 miles off the Florida coast and completely west of the Military Mission Line.

Act allows for leasing in two areas

The Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 actually allows for oil and gas leasing in two areas: the 181 Area, comprising 2 million acres in the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area, as well as an area of approximately 580,000 acres in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico Planning Area; and a second area of approximately 5.8 million acres located in the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area.

The Central Gulf of Mexico portion of the 181 Sale area was reviewed in a draft environmental impact statement published in November 2006, and will be available for lease in Sale 205 scheduled for early fall 2007.

As part of the preparation process for the environmental review of Eastern Gulf Lease Sale 224, MMS will hold scoping meetings to solicit comments from the public. These comments will aid MMS in determining significant issues and alternatives for analysis.

The public scoping meetings were scheduled for March 1 in Pensacola, Fla., and March 7 in Larose, La. Additional information will be published for the scoping meetings, including specific locations and times.

The public may submit comments through mid-March by using the MMS Public Connect online commenting system, or in written format, or by email. All comments must be received no later than March 16.

The notice of the meetings and details on submitting comments are also published in the Federal Register. Copies of the Federal Register notice are available at: MMS Public Information Unit, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70123-2394, or telephone (800) 200-GULF, or via the MMS website at www.mms.gov.






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