For Immediate Release: September 7, 2007
Contact: Jaime Gardner 303-589-2795
Denise Adamic 303-239-3671

BLM November 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, November 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 November lease sale includes 177 parcels covering 189,733 acres, including 84 parcels involving split-estate lands, where a private entity owns the surface rights and the federal government owns the subsurface mineral rights.

 “While energy development on Colorado’s federal lands continue to play an important role 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 of the parcel being protested and must be received by the BLM either by mail, hand delivery, or fax by 4:00 p.m. on October 24, 2007 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 protests are resolved.

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 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; leases can also include specific restrictions, such as limits on seasons when drilling can occur and restrictions on surface occupancy by oil and gas operators.  BLM Colorado holds oil and gas lease sales on the second Thursday of February, May, August, and November.  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. 

Parties interested in receiving regular notification of oil and gas lease sales are encouraged to contact the State Office Public Room at 303-239-3600.  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. 

The BLM manages over 8.3 million acres of public lands in Colorado. These lands are managed for a multitude of uses including recreation, mining, wildlife habitat and livestock grazing. The BLM oversees more than 27 million subsurface acres for mineral development in the state.

-BLM-