| Contacts: | Donna Hummel | , 505.954.2019 | ||
| Stephen Baker | , 505.954.2022 |
BLM to Hold Federal Oil and Gas Lease Sale on January 20, 2010
Santa Fe - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is offering oil and gas leasing mineral rights on 41 parcels totaling 17,755.87 acres located on federal lands in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas. The oral auction will take place on Wednesday, January 20, 2010, at the new BLM State Office, 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The BLM will be available in the lobby at 8:00 a.m. to allow each interested party time to obtain a bidding number. The sale will begin promptly at 9 a.m. Only oral bids offered at the sale will be accepted. Parcels will be awarded to qualified bidders offering the highest acceptable bid. The minimum acceptable bid is $2 per acre.
The lease sale notice can be found at: http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/energy/oil_and_gas/lease_sale_notices.html.
The breakdown by state is as follows:
18 parcels totaling 12,750.53 acres in New Mexico
14 parcels totaling 3,567.12 acres in Texas
8 parcels totaling 1,198.22 acres in Oklahoma
1 parcels totaling 240.00 acres in Kansas
Leases will be awarded for a period of 10 years, or as long thereafter as there is production in paying quantities. The federal government receives 12½ percent royalties on production on those leases. The state in which the leasing occurs receives 48 percent of royalties collected.
The BLM manages more land - over 245 million acres - than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.