Today Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Michael Bromwich, Director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement announced the first lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico since the Deepwater Horizon explosion in April 2010.
Western Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 218 will be held December 14, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The sale will offer more than 20 million acres for exploration and development. According to the Department of Interior’s press release, “BOEMRE estimates the proposed lease sale could result in the production of 222 to 423 million barrels of oil and 1.49 to 2.65 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.”
“This sale is an important step toward a secure energy future that includes safe, environmentally-sound development of our domestic energy resources,” Secretary Salazar said. “Since Deepwater Horizon, we have strengthened oversight at every stage of the oil and gas development process, including deepwater drilling safety, subsea blowout containment, and spill response capability. Exploration and development of our Western Gulf’s vital energy resources will continue to help power our nation and drive our economy.”
Details on Lease Sale 218 are available on BOEMRE’s website.