The Biden administration has proposed a maximum of three offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico’s (GOM) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) for the 2024-2029 period. The long-awaited, proposed final program entails “the fewest oil and gas lease sales in history,” Department of the Interior (DOI) officials said upon releasing the five-year…
Department of the Interior
Articles from Department of the Interior
New Natural Gas, Oil Development in New Mexico’s Chaco National Park Halted by Biden Administration
Natural gas and oil drilling will not be allowed on public lands within 10 miles of New Mexico’s Chaco Culture National Historical Park for 20 years following a decision by the Biden administration. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland issued the land order on Friday (June 2). The order only applies to public lands and federal mineral…
June 6, 2023
Proposed BLM Rule Would Impose Royalties on Vented, Flared Natural Gas from Federal Leases
The Department of the Interior (DOI) unveiled a proposed rule on Monday to curb methane pollution from oil and gas operations on federal and tribal lands, in part by imposing royalties on vented or flared natural gas. The rule drafted by DOI’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) would require operators to strengthen methane mitigation efforts…
November 29, 2022
Biden Administration Says Five-Year Offshore Leasing Program Coming in June
The Department of the Interior (DOI) will release a proposed five-year offshore oil and gas leasing program by the current program’s expiration date of June 30, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said Thursday. Haaland confirmed DOI’s intentions during testimony before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. She said the Trump administration had…
May 23, 2022
Biden Administration Complies with Court, Schedules GOM Oil & Gas Lease Sale for November
The Biden administration said it would continue to review the “deficiencies” in the federal oil and gas leasing programs, but to comply with a court order, it is holding a Gulf of Mexico (GOM) sale in November. Shortly after taking office in January, President Biden ordered a review of the federal oil and gas leasing…
October 5, 2021
Wyoming Groups Aiming to Speed Up Resumption of Federal Oil, Natural Gas Leasing
Wyoming’s two main oil and gas trade groups are seeking to expedite the resumption of oil and gas leases on federal property by the Department of the Interior (DOI). In a merits brief filed Aug. 30 in Wyoming District Court, the Western Energy Alliance and the Petroleum Association of Wyoming (PAW) allege that DOI is…
September 8, 2021
Critics Say Biden ‘Slow Walks’ Compliance with Court Order to Resume Federal Oil, Natural Gas Lease Sales
The U.S. government confirmed in a court filing it would resume federal oil and gas lease sales — and established a timeline — to comply with a ruling that called for an end to the Biden administration’s moratorium. Critics, however, noted that Biden administration officials intend to stretch the process out over several months as…
August 25, 2021
Feds Looking to Expand Wind Energy Offshore East, West Coasts and GOM
The Department of Interior may have paused federal oil and natural gas leasing, but it is looking to deploy 30 GW of offshore wind capacity on nearly every U.S. coast by 2030. A competitive lease sale to kick things off is planned in the New York Bight, with other auctions eventually expected offshore the West…
June 21, 2021
DOI’s Haaland Revokes Trump Orders Affecting Natural Gas, Oil Development, Creates Climate Task Force
Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Deb Haaland has revoked a series of energy-related secretarial orders (SO) issued under the Trump administration and established a climate task force to coordinate across the department. Haaland did so last Friday by signing two SOs of her own, reflecting a see-saw pattern of executive action that is becoming…
April 20, 2021
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