The NewsRoom
Release: #
3790
Date: February 29, 2008

Central Gulf of Mexico Sale 205 Nets $ 2,829,926,881 in High Bids
Summary of Results

NEW ORLEANS  The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has accepted high bids valued at $2,829,926,881 and awarded 683 leases to the successful high bidders who participated in Central Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale 205.  Funds from the total high bids will be distributed to the general fund of the U. S. Treasury, shared with the affected States, and set aside for special uses that benefit all fifty states.

The leases were awarded following the completion of an extensive, two-phase bid evaluation process to ensure that the Federal government receives a fair monetary return for the public mineral resources it makes available.

Eighty-four companies submitted 1,428 bids on 723 tracts in the sale, held October 3, 2007.  The total for high bids submitted on all tracts was $2,904,321,011.  Using the bid evaluation process, MMS rejected high bids totaling $18,509,402 on 18 tracts as insufficient for fair market value.

In addition, five companies that had submitted a total of 22 high bids withdrew their bids, thereby forfeiting the lease and the 1/5th bonus which was submitted with the bid.  As a result, $13,971,182 of the total $69,855,910 bid on those 22 forfeited tracts has been collected.

The highest bid accepted on a tract was $90,488,445 made by Shell Offshore Inc. for Walker Ridge Block 7.  This tract is in deep water (5,240 – 6,562 feet or 1,600 - 2,000 meters) and received 13 bids.

The top five companies with the highest number of accepted high bids for Sale 205:

Company

Number of High Bids Accepted

Sum of High Bids Accepted

BP Exploration & Production Inc.

83

$107,069,658

Shell Offshore Inc.

67

$510,786,333

Cobalt International Energy, L.P.

50

$209,422,572

Chevron U.S.A. Inc.

41

$269,253,446

Nexen Petroleum Offshore U.S.A.

28

$112,217,929

The top five companies with the highest total bonus amount accepted for Sale 205:

Company

Number of High Bids
Accepted

Sum of High Bids Accepted

Shell Offshore Inc.

67

$510,786,333

Chevron U.S.A. Inc.

41

$269,253,446

Marathon Oil Company

27

$221,713,595

Cobalt International Energy, L.P.

50

$209,422,572

Murphy Exploration & Production Com

26

$161,054,671

Media Contact:
   
Caryl Fagot          504-736-259
    Eileen Angelico
   504-736-2595
 

MMS: Securing Ocean Energy & Economic Value for America
U.S. Department of the Interior


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Last Updated: 05/27/2008, 04:05 PM Central Time

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