Management

MMS Offers First Western Gap Leases, Incentives

Bidding is expected to be high for two Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico sales this summer, one that focuses on a region of the Central Gulf that has been a no man’s land for exploration and production, and another in the Western Gulf. Part of the attraction will be the added incentives for drillers, which MMS is using to increase domestic oil and gas production.

April 9, 2001

MMS Calls Pilot RIK Program ‘Viable Alternative’

In what could be a telling sign for making permanent a similar program for natural gas royalties, the Minerals Management Service reports that its crude oil royalty-in-kind (RIK) pilot program in Wyoming has successfully demonstrated that taking production in kind is a “viable alternative” to the traditional method of collecting royalties, in some circumstances.

April 2, 2001

MMS Calls Pilot RIK Program ‘Viable Alternative’

In what could be a telling sign for making permanent a similarprogram for natural gas royalties, the Minerals Management Servicereports that its crude oil royalty-in-kind (RIK) pilot program inWyoming has successfully demonstrated that taking production inkind is a “viable alternative” to the traditional method ofcollecting royalties, in some circumstances.

March 28, 2001

MMS GOM Sale Generates 780 Bids on 547 Tracts

The Minerals Management Service’s Gulf of Mexico OuterContinental Shelf Region sale today has generated more interestthan a similar one held last year. MMS has received 780 bids on 547tracts offered in the Central GOM Lease Sale 178, Part 1. Lastyear’s Central Gulf Sale 175 generated 469 bids on 344 tracts andattracted $300,567,675 in high bids.

March 28, 2001

MMS Offers Incentives to Spur Offshore Production

The Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) hasannounced that the OCS Lease Sale 178 planned for the central Gulfof Mexico will offer producers a mix of incentives to encourageultra-deep-water exploration and development for both natural gasand crude oil.

March 5, 2001

MMS Offers Incentives to Spur Offshore Production

The Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) hasannounced that the OCS Lease Sale 178 planned for the central Gulfof Mexico will offer producers a mix of incentives to encourageultra-deep-water exploration and development for both natural gasand crude oil.

February 26, 2001

NOIA Urges MMS to Expand Leasing Plan

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.

December 18, 2000

MMS Seeks Comments on 5-Year Plan

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.

December 15, 2000

MMS Sets Tentative Eastern GOM Lease Sale

The Minerals Management Service has scheduled its only EasternGulf of Mexico sale in its current five-year leasing plan — andthe first proposed sale in the eastern section of the Gulf in morethan 12 years. Proposed lease sale 181, scheduled December 2001,would include 1,033 blocks covering 5,949 million acres — about8% of the total area in the Eastern Gulf Planning Area.

December 11, 2000

MMS Sets Tentative Eastern GOM Lease Sale Next Year

The Minerals Management Service has scheduled its only Eastern Gulf of Mexico sale in its current five-year leasing plan – and the first proposed sale in the eastern section of the Gulf in more than 12 years. Proposed lease sale 181, scheduled December 2001, would include 1,033 blocks covering 5,949 million acres – about 8% of the total area in the Eastern Gulf Planning Area.

December 11, 2000