Secretary Salazar: $25 Million for Gulf States and Counties from 2007-08 Bonus Bids and Rents on OCS Energy Leases (3/23/2009) MMS Ocean Science Magazine (3/6/2009, 1,213 KB PDF) Current (2007-2012) 5-Year Program Lease Sale Schedule Offshore Energy and Minerals Management Strategic Plan, 2007-2012 (1,424.59 KB PDF; 12/12/07)

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) plays a key role in America’s energy supply by managing the mineral resources on 1.7 billion acres of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This includes managing Alternative Energy Programs as well as Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing in Federal waters.

The OCS is a significant source of oil and gas for the Nation’s energy supply. The approximately 43 million leased OCS acres generally accounts for about 15 percent of America’s domestic natural gas production and about 27 percent of America’s domestic oil production. The MMS’s oversight and regulatory framework ensure production and drilling are done in an environmentally responsible manner, and done safely. In addition, MMS is developing regulations to guide Alternative Energy Programs located on the OCS. Examples of potential alternative energy projects include wind energy, wave energy, ocean current energy, and more.

The offshore areas of the United States are estimated to contain significant quantities of resources in yet-to-be-discovered fields. MMS estimates of oil and gas resources in undiscovered fields on the OCS (2006, mean estimates) total 86 billion barrels of oil and 420 trillion cubic feet of gas. These volumes represent about 60 percent of the oil and 40 percent of the natural gas resources estimated to be contained in remaining undiscovered fields in the United States.

The OCS Lands Act (286.05 KB PDF) requires the Department of the Interior (DOI) to prepare a 5-year program that specifies the size, timing and location of areas to be assessed for Federal offshore natural gas and oil leasing. It is the role of DOI to ensure that the U.S. government receives fair market value for acreage made available for leasing and that any oil and gas activities conserve resources, operate safely, and take maximum steps to protect the environment.

OCS oil and gas lease sales are currently held on an areawide basis with annual sales in the Central and Western Gulf of Mexico with less frequent sales held in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and offshore Alaska. The program operates along all the coasts of the United States - with oil and gas production occurring on the Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, Atlantic and Alaska OCS. The MMS is also responsible for other mineral production offshore, which currently includes using sand and gravel for coastal restoration projects.

The Offshore Energy and Minerals Management Program operates under the leadership of Associate Director Chris Oynes and Deputy Associate Director Bob LaBelle.