The Minerals Management Service (MMS) said Thursday in a Federal Register notice that Lease Sale 192 in the Western Planning Area of the Gulf of Mexico could result in production of 136 to 262 million barrels of oil and 0.81 to 1.44 Tcf of natural gas. The lease sale is scheduled for Aug. 18 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel in Louisiana.

The sale area encompasses 3,907 blocks on 21.2 million acres of federal land from nine to about 210 miles offshore Texas and Louisiana in water depths of four to more than 3,425 meters.

The final notice for the sale introduces several new changes since the MMS last released a notice of the sale, including new deepwater royalty suspension price thresholds of $39/bbl for oil and $6.50/MMBtu for gas, a revision of the shallow water deep gas royalty suspension provisions, and new contractual requirements.

The MMS also slightly increased the minimum bonus bids per acre for tracts located in water depths of 400-799 meters from $25/acre to $37.50. The agency also made several areas available that previously were off limits, including Mustang Island Blocks 793, 799, and 816. Exploration, development and production on those blocks have restrictions, however.

MMS also has introduced a revised protected species stipulation that is designed to minimize or avoid potential adverse impacts to federally protected species.

Complete sale notice packages, including the notice, sale maps, and supporting documents, are available from the MMS Gulf of Mexico Region Public Information Unit at (800) 200-GULF or (504) 736-2519.

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