BLM Wyoming offers 105 parcels in March 2020 oil and gas lease sale

From the Bureau of Land Management
Posted 11/14/19

105 leases cover 118,219 acres.

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BLM Wyoming offers 105 parcels in March 2020 oil and gas lease sale

Posted

The Bureau of Land Management Wyoming announced Nov. 13 that it

plans to offer 105 oil and gas lease parcels totaling about 118,219 acres at its March 2020

quarterly lease sale.

In coordination with the State of Wyoming, the BLM is deferring four whole parcels and

a portion of one other because they intersect state-designated big game migration corridors.

This is consistent with Secretarial Order 3362 on improving habitat quality in western big

game winter range. The BLM reviewed all proposed parcels to ensure leasing them conforms

to the 2015 Approved Sage-Grouse Resource Management Plan Amendments for the Rocky

Mountain Region, which are currently in effect due to the preliminary injunction of the BLM’s

2019 sage-grouse plan amendments by the U.S. District Court of Idaho.

Nov. 13 started a 30-day public comment period on the proposed lease sale, which will close

Dec. 13.

To comment on the sale or learn more about the parcels analyzed, visit the BLM’s ePlanning

site at https://go.usa.gov/xpYGJ. This site contains the environmental assessment, lists and

maps of the parcels, and the stipulations attached to each parcel, as well as an online comment

portal. The BLM will review and consider every comment received before preparing a final

decision, but specific comments addressing distinct parcels or concerns are most useful.

The BLM is required by statute to hold quarterly oil and gas lease sales when federal land

is available for lease. Leasing is the first step in the process to develop federal oil and gas resources,

and it does not authorize drilling. Before any development can begin, the BLM must

approve a separate permit based on further analysis of site-specific plans and conditions.

Wyoming is one of the country’s top energy producers on public lands. In 2018, BLM Wyoming

raised nearly $117 million through oil and gas lease sales. Nearly half the revenue from

each lease sale goes directly to the State of Wyoming and, when leasing results in production,

royalties from production are also shared with the state.