MMS requests information for 2005 Beaufort Sea oil and gas lease sale

Petroleum News

The Minerals Management Service is requesting information for proposed Beaufort Sea Sale 195, the second in three sales scheduled in the current MMS five-year program for the Beaufort Sea outer continental shelf off Alaska’s North Slope. Sale 186, the first of the three, was held in September. Sale 195 is proposed for March 2005.

The agency said Dec. 16 that it “is seeking comment on whether any significant new information has become available” since it completed the environmental impact statement for the three sales in February. MMS said it will prepare an environmental assessment to address new information or concerns “which may have developed since the multi-sale EIS was published.” The environmental assessment would be released for public comment in August 2004, and a proposed notice of sale, outlining the proposed sale area, mitigating measures and stipulations, is scheduled to be released in October 2004, followed by a final notice of sale in February 2005.