The U.S. Minerals Management Service (MMS) manages the nation’s oil and natural gas resources located on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). It does this through a formal multi-year, multi-step process resulting in a 5-year leasing program in accordance with projected national energy needs.
The current 5-year plan (2007-2012) was formulated when oil was trading at $64 per barrel. Given the dramatic rise in crude oil since then and the removal of the Presidential Withdrawal on some OCS acreage, the Secretary of the Interior instructed the MMS to begin this planning process. However, there can be no development on areas under Congressional moratorium, unless and until Congress lifts the moratorium.
The MMS has general and specific questions where it is seeking public input. You can find these in the Request for Information (http://www.mms.gov/5-year/PDFs/E8-17708.pdf).
AAPG has two current statements approved by its Executive Committee that support OCS exploration and development. The first, entitled Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Resources (http://dpa.aapg.org/gac/statements/atlanticOCSResources.cfm), recommends the responsible development of oil and natural gas resources on the Atlantic OCS. The second, entitled Offshore OCS Access (http://dpa.aapg.org/gac/statements/offshoreOCSaccess.cfm), states that “AAPG supports the full exploration and production of the petroleum resources of the Outer Continental Shelf and Slope of the United States.”
The MMS website has additional information about the MMS 5-Year OCS Leasing program (http://www.mms.gov/5-year/).