The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is starting to prepare fora new five-year Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leasing programto run from 2002-2007. The agency has asked for input frominterested and affected parties.

“While this is just the first step in a process that will playout over the next year and a half, it is significant because thecomments and information we receive will provide a basis forframing the first draft of the next five-year sale schedule,” saidMMS Director Walt Rosenbusch. “We hope to hear from a large andbroad constituency.”

The five-year program will establish the size, timing andlocation of OCS oil and gas leasing activity. The areas of the OCSoff the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, a portion of the area offFlorida in the Gulf of Mexico and the North Aleutian Basin area offAlaska cannot be considered as a result of a 1998 presidentialdirective.

The schedule for the new program is as follows: Dec. 12, 2000,solicit comments; April 2001, issue draft proposed program with a60-day comment period; July 2001, issue proposed program and draftEIS with a 90-day comment period; January 2002, issue proposedfinal program and final EIS with a 60 day waiting period; March2002, approve five-year program for July 2002-2007.

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