The NewsRoom
Release: #3824
Date: July 9, 2008

MMS Gauges Interest in Exploring

Alaska’s Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Minerals Management Service published a Request for Information in the Federal Register to gauge the level of industry interest in energy exploration in Alaska’s Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait.

The service will use the information to decide whether to proceed with the evaluation process for potential oil and gas lease sales in the area.

In addition to asking companies to indicate their interest in the region, MMS also asked that they indicate the specific areas they would be interested in exploring.

“Alaska’s Cook Inlet and Shelikof Strait have potential as sources of oil and natural gas,” said MMS’s Alaska Regional Director John Goll. “If industry expresses interest in energy exploration there, we will begin the process of evaluating any potential environmental effects of doing so in the areas they specify.”

In addition to determining interest in the area, today’s FR notice invites public comments about particular economic terms and conditions of a potential sale, geologic, environmental, biological, archaeological, or social and economic conditions, and other information that would aid in the decision-making process.

The service’s 2007 – 2012 Oil and Gas Leasing Program identified two potential, interest-based lease sales, Sale 211 and Sale 219, tentatively scheduled for 2009 and 2011 respectively. If industry does not express an interest in these areas, MMS will issue a similar Request for Information next year.

Nominations and comments must be received by October 6, 2008. Comments can be submitted by mail to:

Regional Supervisor
Leasing & Environment, Alaska OCS Region
Minerals Management Service
3901 Centerpoint Drive
Anchorage, AK 99503

The service is also accepting comments via email at: https://ocsconnect.mms.gov/pcs-public/.

For more information about this Request for Information, contact the MMS Alaska Region at (907) 334-5208, toll free at 1-800-764-2627, by fax at (907) 334-5242 or email akwebmaster@mms.gov.