U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) Secretary Ken Salazar Thursday offered the final version of the department’s OCS [Outer Continental Shelf] Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017, sticking to tried and true areas in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and holding out delayed possibilities in Alaska.
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OCS Five-Year Leasing Plan Sticks to GOM, Some Alaska
U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) Secretary Ken Salazar Thursday offered the final version of the department’s OCS [Outer Continental Shelf] Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017, sticking to tried and true areas in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and holding out delayed possibilities in Alaska.
Interior to Finalize New Five-Year OCS Leasing Program Within Days
U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) Secretary Ken Salazar said Tuesday the finalized version of the five-year program for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) leasing expected to be released within days will follow a “targeted” format. He also affirmed it was “highly likely” that Royal Dutch Shell plc will be granted the permits to drill exploratory wells in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea this summer.
Industry Offered 38M GOM Acres Amid Claims of Sitting on Leases
In what will be the final lease sale under the existing five-year Outer Continental Shelf plan, Interior Department last Thursday said it would make available to producers in June all unleased areas in the Central Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Planning Area offshore Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, including 7,276 blocks on about 38.6 million acres.
House Lawmakers Spar with Administration’s OCS Point Man
The Obama administration’s five-year (2012-2017) plan for oil and natural gas leasing in the Outer Continental Shelf came under heavy attack last Wednesday from Republican members of the House Natural Resources Committee, who claimed that it reinstated the ban on shelf drilling that was lifted in 2008. The head of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) defended the proposed plan, saying it focuses on offshore areas where oil and gas deposits are known to be the richest and also are verifiable by reliable seismic data.
House Lawmakers Spar with Administration Point Man on OCS
The Obama administration’s five-year (2012-2017) plan for oil and natural gas leasing in the Outer Continental Shelf came under heavy attack Wednesday from Republican members of the House Natural Resources Committee, who claimed that it reinstated the ban on shelf drilling that had been lifted in 2008. The head of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) defended the proposed plan, saying it focuses on offshore areas where oil and gas deposits are known to be the richest and also are verifiable by reliable seismic data.
Interior Issues New Guidance on Offshore Archaeological Surveys
Two Interior Department agencies have issued updated guidance to oil and natural gas companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) on how to conduct archaeological resource surveys and prepare archaeological reports, based on additional new information about the likely location of historical resources.
GAO: Coast Guard Falls Short in Security Inspections
The U.S.Coast Guard should make sure that annual security inspections are conducted of all Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) facilities and upgrade its database where inspection information is stored, the Governmental Accountability Office (GAO) recommended in a new report. Until then, the security of offshore facilities will be spotty at best, the agency said.
Shell Hoping to Drill Offshore Alaska Next Year
A U.S. affiliate of Royal Dutch Shell plc is hopeful that the federal government will allow it to begin drilling for oil and natural gas in the Alaskan Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) next year, and believes that moving forward with exploration and production would boost the Trans-Alaska Pipeline (TAP) and make the case for construction of a pipeline to transport natural gas.
Report Lists Merits to Arctic OCS Development
A new report on the merits of developing Alaska’s Arctic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) states the move would create “significant economic effects,” and would generate thousands of jobs and billions in payroll and tax revenue.