The Department of Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS)must carefully examine the option of including promising areas inits new 5-year leasing plan that have been subject to moratoria inthe past, the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) said.

NOIA, which represents all segments of the offshore industrywith an interest in E&P on the nation’s Outer ContinentalShelf, said the tightness of the current energy market and thedistinct possibility of grave shortages in the near future dictatethat the MMS leave open the possibility that the moratoria may bereconsidered in the next five years. To do otherwise would rob theMMS of the flexibility necessary to properly address our rapidlychanging energy needs.

NOIA’s comments were in response to a notice Dec. 12 that theMMS would begin the development of a new 5-year leasing plan to runfrom 2002 to 2007.

Areas included in the plan are considered for leasing, but neednot be leased, while areas not included in the plan may not beleased. In announcing the initiation of a new plan and calling forcomments the MMS said areas of the OCS off the Pacific and Atlanticcoasts, a portion of the area off Florida in the Gulf of Mexico andthe North Aleutian Basin area off Alaska cannot be considered as aresult of a 1998 presidential directive.

NOIA President Tom Fry said, “We are aware of the seriousdifficulty involved in determining our nation’s long-term energypolicy, and of the intense pressure placed on our policymakers fromall sides. However, we feel that a policy which so directly impactsthe future economic well-being of this country deserves carefulconsideration of the full range of options.”

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