Expressions of Interest in Oil and Gas Leasing

An Expression of Interest (EOI) is an informal nomination to request that certain lands be included in an oil and gas competitive lease sale.  Regulations pertaining to competitive leasing can be found at 43 CFR 3120. 

An EOI request must be made in writing (no specific form required) to the BLM State Office having jurisdiction over the lands.  No filing fee or rental is required with an EOI.  EOIs are not automatically placed on a sale when received.  The parcels must be reviewed for availability and environmental concerns prior to being placed on a sale.  BLM is also required to post the Notice of Competitive Sale 90 days prior to the sale.  Sale Notices are posted on our website - click here. 

As of August 8, 1995, all BLM offices must hold the names of all parties that file an informal EOI as confidential until 2 days following the last day of the competitive sale, or in other words, until the next day following the conclusion of the noncompetitive day-after-the sale filings.

Lands managed by another Federal government agency -

If your EOI includes lands where the surface is managed by another agency, BLM is required to obtain approval and recommendations from that surface managing agency (SMA) prior to placing the lands on a competitive lease sale notice.  Please be prepared if another SMA does not consider our request for concurrence/consent as their highest priority.  The SMA may need to prepare or update its land use plans prior to granting consent to lease, this process may require additional time.  In addition, after consent is received from an SMA, the BLM is required to review the impacts of leasing and environmental concerns prior to parcels being placed on a sale.

If the land is acquired land in a non-public land state which has not been surveyed under the rectangular system of public land surveys, the land can be described as in the deed or other document by which the United States acquired title to the lands or minerals.  If an acquisition tract number has been assigned by the acquiring agency to the tract, a description by tract number will be accepted.

Lands where the surface is privately owned and the minerals are Federally owned -

Effective immediately, anyone submitting an informal Expression of Interest (EOI) which includes split estate lands must provide the name, address and telephone number of the current private surface owner(s).  Split estate lands include private surface and/or State owned surface with Federally owned minerals.

Whenever a split estate parcel is included in an oil and gas Notice of Competitive Lease Sale, the BLM will send a courtesy letter to the surface owner(s).  The letter will provide the surface owner notice of the scheduled auction as well as information about the BLM’s regulations and procedures for Federal oil and gas leasing and development on split estate lands.

Any EOI including split estate lands that is submitted in the future, or now pending with a BLM State Office, that does not provide the name, address and telephone number of the surface owner(s) will not be processed by the BLM and such lands will not be placed on a list of lands included in a Notice of Competitive Lease Sale until the required information is provided.   

Lands not available for leasing -

Prior to submitting your EOI, BLM public records should be reviewed to make certain the lands are available for leasing.  Some lands not available for leasing are, but not limited to the following:

  • Lands already leased for oil and gas
  • Lands with non-Federally owned minerals
  • Lands within city limits
  • Lands withdrawn from mineral leasing
  • Lands located in designated or proposed wilderness study areas
  • Lands within an Indian Reservation
  • Lands with pending mineral entry applications
  • Lands with patented mining claims

In checking the public records, make certain that:

  • Expired leases have not been extended beyond their expiration date by diligent drilling; and
  • Terminated leases are not in the process of being reinstated.
Submitting an EOI -

EOIs must be submitted with a complete legal land description.  If your EOI contains lands not within a 6-mile square area, please configure the lands into the parcels as you would like to see them on a sale notice.  Parcels will not exceed 2,560.00 acres on the sale notice, so if your EOI contains more than 2,560.00 acres and you have not configured or prioritized your parcels, BLM will parcelize the lands, which may not agree with the parcel configuration you prefer.

Please follow our suggested parceling package, so that we may efficiently process your request.  Incomplete nomination packages or improperly packaged EOIs can cause huge delays in processing.

  • Exact locality information including state, county, meridian, township, range, section, and aliquot part or other appropriate specific land description such as lot number, tract number, or metes and bounds description.

  • County plat map showing surface ownership and acreage with nominated parcel outlined on map.

  • A shapefile(s) of the nominated area, if available.

  • Split estate lands must provide the name, address and telephone number of the current private surface owner(s).

  • Do not include lands with Federal surface ownership and lands with private surface and/or State owned surface ownership in the same EOI.

  • Do not include parcels in different counties, townships, or ranges in the same EOI (unless the parcels are within 6 miles of one another).

  • EOI's should not be more than 640 acres unless it is one contiguous piece of property with one surface owner or under the jurisdiction of one SMA.

  • Make certain your EOI contains your contact information - name or company name with address and telephone number.

Submit your EOI via e-mail to:  ES_EOI_Nominations@blm.gov

Mail your EOI to:

Bureau of Land Management
Eastern States Office
7450 Boston Blvd.
Springfield, VA  22153