WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the Bureau of Land Management will modify an upcoming federal oil and natural gas lease sale in Wyoming to allow more time for review and study of eight lease parcels of concern to the State of Wyoming. The eight deferred parcels will not be included in the February 3, 2009, oil and gas lease auction. The auction will proceed as scheduled, however, with the sale of leases on 137 parcels totaling 163,526.74 acres.
Salazar’s decision follows a request from Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal, who formally sought the deferral of the eight lease parcels in a Feb. 2, 2009 letter to the Bureau of Land Management’s Wyoming State Office. Governor Freudenthal raised concerns over the value of certain parcels for wildlife and recreational use and the need for further studies and plans to be completed.
“As we develop the energy and resources on our public lands, we must do so with an eye to future generations and an ear to local communities,” said Secretary Salazar. “The State of Wyoming has raised concerns with a handful of the parcels scheduled for the upcoming federal lease sale. It is important that we take another look at these parcels and determine whether they are in fact appropriate for energy development.”
Three of the deferred parcels are within the Cody Field Office and adjacent to the Shoshone National Forest: WY-0902-124, -125, and -126. The remaining five deferred parcels are within the Rock Springs Field Office and the Jack Morrow Hills Coordinated Activity Plan area: WY-0902-108, -109, -110, -111, and -112.
Mineral resources on public lands in Wyoming play a key role in meeting energy demands in the Rocky Mountain region. Oil and gas operations on BLM-administered public lands and federal mineral estate in Wyoming produced 28,556,565 barrels of oil and 1.6 trillion cubic feet of gas in fiscal year 2008. Last year, total mineral royalties of nearly $1.5 billion were collected and nearly half was disbursed to the State of Wyoming.
Leases are for a primary term of ten years, and will be continued as long thereafter as oil or gas is produced in paying quantities.
Gov. Freudenthal’s letter is online at http://www.doi.gov/news/09_News_Releases/Governors_Letter.pdf
More information on the lease sale is at http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/energy/Oil_and_Gas/Leasing.html.
Interactive maps showing the location of the upcoming lease sale parcels in Wyoming can be found at www.geocommunicator.gov