The Alaska Division of Oil and Gas received 43 bids from companies and investors interested in obtaining state leases during its latest Cook Inlet and Alaska Peninsula oil and gas lease sales. Winning bidders have 10 years to explore and potentially develop the leased acreage. The division received 40 bids from eight bidders on 35 tracts encompassing 114,203 acres in the Cook Inlet sale area. It received three bids from two bidders on three tracts encompassing 10,280 acres in the Alaska Peninsula sale area. Winning bonus bids totaled $5.35 million for the Cook Inlet sale and $51,400 for the Alaska Peninsula sale. “This year’s lease sale results show continued optimism among investors about the hydrocarbon resource potential of these two regions, and that state-owned acreage is considered highly prospective for oil and gas development,” said Division of Oil and Gas Director Bill Barron. “The sale results also demonstrate continued growth in the market potential for Cook Inlet oil and gas.”