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BLM Eastern States Office Successfully Concludes First Online Oil and Gas Lease Sale

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Bureau of Land Management

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National Office

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Today’s sale was the first online oil and gas lease sale by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) under new authority provided by Congress.

BLM's Eastern States Office offered nearly 4,400 acres at today's sale, including 4,214 acres on the Homochitto and Bienville National Forests in Mississippi, and 184 acres on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers managed lands in Kentucky.  All parcels offered were sold.  The highest bid received was $184 per acre for an 86.21-acre parcel. 
 
“I am pleased that Eastern States was able to be the first BLM office to use this new authority” said BLM Eastern States Director Karen Mouritsen. “The success of this effort builds upon the experience of other government agencies with online auctions, and gives the BLM another tool to efficiently administer its oil and gas program.” 

The lease sale was hosted by EnergyNet (www.EnergyNet.com).  Each parcel was available for bidding for three hours during the sale.  Sale progress could be monitored through the website by any member of the public, in addition to sale participants.

The authority to conduct onshore oil and gas lease sales through internet-based bidding methods was provided by the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act.  On August 31, the BLM published a rule amending its regulations to fully implement this authority and give the agency the flexibility to hold either in-person or online lease sale auctions. Seven state agencies currently use EnergyNet for online sales of state parcels.

Additional information including the sale notice and results can be found on the BLM ES website:  http://www.blm.gov/es/st/en/prog/minerals/current_sales_and.html. 

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.