MMS Proposes to Expand Lease Sale 205 Available Acreage

MMS

The Interior Department's Minerals Management Service (MMS) has released for comment in the Federal Register a proposal to expand the available acreage in Lease Sale 205. MMS will accept comments on the proposal through December 29, 2006.

In the Proposed 5-Year Program for 2007-2012, Lease Sale 205 originally included acreage located along the eastern boundary of the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area (see Map 1). MMS proposes to expand Lease Sale 205 to include all available acreage in the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area (see Map 2). While this additional acreage would be new to Sale 205, it is the same acreage proposed for the other Central Gulf of Mexico lease sales scheduled for 2008 – 2012.

Lease Sale 205 is currently included in the Proposed 5-Year Program for 2007-2012 and accompanying Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The comment period for the Proposed 5-Year Program remains open until November 24, 2006 and the comment period for the Draft EIS is open until November 22, 2006.

Lease Sale 201 scheduled for 2007 was part of the 5-Year Program for 2002 – 2007 and included all of the available acreage in the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area as proposed in the 5-Year Program for 2002 – 2007. As part of a lawsuit settlement agreement with the State of Louisiana, MMS has agreed to prepare an EIS before conducting any additional lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico. As a result of this agreement, MMS is cancelling Lease Sale 201. The proposal to expand the available acreage in Lease Sale 205 includes the acreage that would have been offered in Lease Sale 201.

The MMS will accept comments submitted electronically using MMS's Public Connect online commenting system. You may also mail comments and information to:

Renee Orr
5-Year Program Manager
Minerals Management Service (MS-4010), Room 3120
381 Elden Street
Herndon, Virginia 20170

Please label your comments "Comments on Revisions to Proposed 5-Year Program for 2007-2012".

The DEIS is available on the MMS website. You may comment electronically using MMS's Public Connect online commenting system. You may also mail comments to:

James F. Bennett
Chief, Branch of Environmental Assessment
381 Elden Street, Mail Stop 4042
Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817
Envelopes or packages must be marked "Comments on 2007-2012 Oil and Gas Program Revisions for Draft Environmental Impact Statement".


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