BLM February Oil and Gas Lease Sale Information Available

DENVER – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado today announced that information on its quarterly oil and gas lease sale, to be held on Thursday, February 8, 2007, is now available. In response to public requests that oil and gas lease sale information be made available as soon as possible, the BLM is posting the sale notice for 60 days, rather than the 45 days required by law.

The BLM’s February lease sale includes 49 parcels covering 32,125 acres. Lease sale information can be obtained at each of the Bureau’s field offices, as well as the Information Center at the Colorado State Office located in Lakewood. Additionally, an electronic copy has been posted on the BLM’s state website at: http://www.co.blm.gov/oilandgas/leasinfo.htm.

Approximately 33 parcels totaling 11,746 acres in the lease sale involve split-estate lands where a private entity owns the surface rights and the federal government owns the subsurface mineral rights. Information about split-estate issues can be found on BLM Colorado’s website at: http://www.co.blm.gov/oilandgas/oilgas.htm#split_estate

“While energy development on Colorado’s federal lands continue to play an important part in meeting our nation’s energy needs, our focus is on smart planning and working with industry to use best practices to reduce environmental impacts on public and private lands,” said BLM Colorado Deputy State Director Lynn Rust.

National BLM policy requires all protests filed on nominated parcels must include the specific serial number/parcel number being protested and must be received by the BLM either by mail, hand delivery, or fax by 4:00 p.m. at least 15 calendar days prior to the lease sale to be considered. If a protest is filed by fax, it must be sent to 303-239-3799. This policy allows the Bureau to review protests in advance of the sale, allow for an appropriate announcement of protests at the sale, and attempt to meet the statutory deadline for issuing leases. While these protested parcels may still be offered, bidders are notified that no lease will be issued until the protests are resolved.

Rust noted that BLM will review each parcel that receives a protest before a lease will be issued. “We take seriously the concerns of the local community and incorporate their comments into our planning process,” Rust said. “As we follow our mandate to manage for multiple uses – including recreation, conservation and energy development – it is important that we continue to work with our neighbors for the benefit of Colorado citizens.”

Parties interested in receiving regular notification of the oil and gas lease sales are encouraged to contact the State Office Public Room at the State Office at 303-239-3600. For $5 each quarterly sale, and $5 for each sale result, the Bureau will automatically send those citizens who have registered a copy of the lease sale notification. A minimum of $50 is required to establish an account – called a declining debit account – and will guarantee a copy of the sale notification before each quarterly sale, as well as the sale results.

Notice documents may also be obtained by calling the Public Room up to 60 days before the sale and requesting a copy of the sale notice be sent to you. There is a $5 charge for the sale notice. Sale results can be requested approximately one week after the sale for an additional $5. BLM Colorado holds oil and gas lease sales the second Thursday of February, May, August, and November.

The Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 and the 1987 Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act authorize leasing of Federal oil and gas resources. The 1987 law, which amended the Mineral Leasing Act, requires each BLM state office to conduct oil and gas lease sales on at least a quarterly basis.

“Of the total acreage managed by the BLM, less than one percent experiences surface disturbance from oil and gas activity,” said Rust. “To minimize such impacts (the “footprint”) on the land, the Bureau analyzes the potential environmental effects from exploration and development before offering any leases for sale.” All leases come with stipulations (general requirements) on oil and gas activities to protect the environment; stipulations also can include specific restrictions, such as limits on seasons when drilling can occur and restrictions on surface occupancy by oil and gas operators.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages over 8.3 million acres of public lands in Colorado. These lands are managed for a multitude of uses including, but not limited to, recreation, mining, wildlife habitat and livestock grazing. Along with these 8.3 million acres, BLM oversees more than 27 million subsurface acres for mineral development in the state.

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