Two lease sales in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico Planning Area were scheduled under the OCS 5-Year Program for 2002-2007.  Under the current 1.5 million-acre configuration, Lease Sale 189 was held in 2003 and Sale 197 was held on March 16, 2005.  The 2002-2007 5-Year Program did not propose the leasing of any OCS areas withdrawn from leasing by moratoria or executive order. 

Important Sale 197 Dates:

• February 7, 2002 - Federal Register (FR) Call/Notice published

• March 2002 - Public hearings held in New Orleans and Mobile

• November 2002/May 2003 - Draft and Final EIS made available to the public, respectively

• November 2004 - Notice of Availability of Proposed Notice of Sale published in Federal Register

• February 2005 - Final Notice of Sale published in the Federal Register

• March 16, 2005 - Sale 197

Final Notice of Sale Package  (Released February 11, 2005)

Potential Hydrocarbon Prospects for Sale 197

News Releases and Fact Sheets

Preliminary Sale Statistics  (Released March 15, 2005) 

Lease Sale Map - Bid Distribution  (Released March 16, 2005)

Blocks Receiving Bids (Released March 16, 2005)

Notification of EFT 1/5 Bonus Liability  (Released March 16, 2005) 

Sale Statistics  (Released March 16, 2005)

Bid Evaluation Results (Updated May 3, 2005)

Final Bid Recap  (Released May 25, 2005)