DENVER, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management Colorado will offer to lease 120 parcels totaling approximately 133,054 acres for oil and gas development at its quarterly oil and gas lease sale on Feb.12, 2009. 

 

The parcels to be offered include 96, 281 Forest Service acres, 29,088 split-estate  acres (federal subsurface mineral ownership and state or private surface ownership), 7,526 BLM acres, and 158 Department of Energy acres. BLM acts as a leasing agent for other federal agencies whose management plans authorize oil and gas leasing.

 

The lease sale will offer parcels in 16 counties: Cheyenne with 79 acres, Delta with 6,963 acres, Garfield with 2,818 acres, Gunnison with 767 acres, Jackson with 4,161 acres, La Plata with 16,397 acres, Logan with 80 acres, Mesa with 1,120 acres, Moffat with 1,067 acres, Montezuma with 2,010 acres, Montrose with 39,239 acres, Morgan with 1,560 acres, Routt with 6,122 acres, San Miguel with 48,390 acres, Washington with 160 acres, and Weld with 2,120 acres.

 

In an effort to make more detailed information on oil and gas lease sales available to local governments, communities, and landowners, an improved online map is now available on the BLM Colorado web site. The interactive maps show the oil and gas lease sale parcel locations with an easy-to-use, zoom-down feature to help the public identify federal lease parcels

(see http://www.co.blm.gov/oilandgas/leasing/leasesales/feb09/MapBook_Index.pdf).

 

“This added feature is part of our long term effort to make more information available on our lease sales for the benefit of the public and landowners,” said Duane Spencer, BLM Colorado Branch Chief for Fluid Minerals.

 

 “The Bureau analyzes the potential environmental effects from exploration and development before offering any leases for sale. Leases are only offered in areas where a land use plan, developed with input from the public, has authorized leasing to take place,” said Lynn Rust, BLM Colorado Deputy State Director for Energy, Lands and Minerals.

 

The federal government has paid $2.57 billion in mineral royalties, bonus payments and rental fees to Colorado since 1922. In 2008, the state received $178 million in federal mineral payments.

 

Statewide, BLM accounts for about 13 percent of new oil and gas wells. In 2007, the state of Colorado processed 6,386 applications for drilling permits, with 827 on federal lands or federal mineral holdings. The remaining 5,541 wells are on state-owned or private lands.

 

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 online at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Programs/oilandgas/leasing.html, at each of the Bureau’s field offices, and the Public Room at the BLM Colorado State Office in Lakewood.

 

National BLM policy requires that 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., January 28, 2009.  If a protest is filed by fax, it must be sent to 303-239-3799. 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 where there is interest to do so.

 

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

 

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