For Release: 9/29/03
Contact: Nora DeDios (661) 391-6129 or Jan Bedrosian (916) 978-4616
CCal-03-37

Oil and Gas Lease Sale Results; BLM Seeks Public Input for Next Sale

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced a statewide oil and gas lease sale earlier this month netted $109,000 in bonus bids and resulted in 27 parcels covering 13,193 acres being leased. In preparation for the next lease sale early in 2004, BLM is also seeking suggestions from the oil and gas industry and other interested parties on what parcels of federally owned minerals in California should be offered for lease at that time.

The lease sale held Sept. 17, 2003, resulted in 27 parcels leased in the following areas:

· Fresno County, 5,660 acres, 10 parcels;
· Kern County, 3,319 acres, eight parcels;
· Kings County, 80 acres, one parcel;
· San Luis Obispo County, 3,734 acres, seven parcels; and
· Santa Barbara County, 400 acres, one parcel.

Under established procedures, the 14 remaining parcels that were not bid on or leased at the sale are still available through a non-competitive leasing process.

Meanwhile, BLM is already planning for the next lease sale and is seeking public input from industry or individuals on what parcels in California should be made available by BLM for the lease sale. These "expressions of interest" would be areas with potential for development. These expressions of interest can be provided in a letter or form listing the legal descriptions of lands an individual or company is interested in seeing offered for lease. Deadline for these submissions is Nov. 21, 2003. They should be sent to BLM-California State Office, Attention: Debra Marsh, 2800 Cottage Way, W-1618, Sacramento, CA, 95825. The lease sale is scheduled for February 26, 2004, and a lease sale notice will be published by BLM in early January 2004 listing the parcels offered for lease and information on the location, time, and procedures for the lease sale.

Detailed information on the previous lease sale is available online at www.ca.blm.gov/caso/compsales. Further information on oil and gas leasing procedures in California can be obtained from Nora DeDios in BLM's Bakersfield Field Office at (661) 391-6129 or Bonnie Edgerly at (916) 978-4370.

-BLM-

Bakersfield Field Office -- 3801 Pegasus Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93308