The Bureau of Land Management to hold oil and gas lease sale December 8
Organization
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RENO, Nev. — In keeping with the Administration’s goal of promoting American energy security, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to offer 20 parcels for lease totaling 24,940.037 acres at its December 2020 oil and gas lease sale. The proposed parcels are located in Nye county. The BLM will hold the lease sale online at www.energynet.com on Tuesday, December 8. The protest period begins October 9, 2020 and ends November 8, 2020.
The open bidding period will begin at 9 a.m. Central Standard Time or 7 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020. Each parcel will have its own unique open bidding period, with start and stop times clearly identified on the auction website. The open bidding period for each parcel will run for one hour from start to finish, and bids will only be accepted during a parcel’s open bidding period. Parcels may be viewed online at the EnergyNet website approximately 10 business days after the posting of this sale notice on the BLM website.
Leasing is the first step in the process to develop Federal oil and gas resources. Before development operations can begin, an operator must submit an application for permit to drill detailing development plans. The BLM reviews applications for permit to drill, posts them for public review, and coordinates with state partners and stakeholders.
“Responsible energy development includes consideration of parcels nominated for leasing as well as potential resource impacts for each parcel,” said Kemba Anderson, Fluid Minerals Branch Chief for BLM Nevada. “Additional environmental review will take place during processing of an application for permit to drill, when site-specific Conditions of Approval will be placed on the permit in addition to the stipulations already attached to the lease at the time of sale.”
Revenues from onshore oil and gas production on Federal lands directly fund the U.S. Treasury and state budgets, and support public education, infrastructure improvements, and other state-determined priorities. Forty-eight percent of lease sale revenue goes to the state while the rest goes to the U.S. Treasury. The state also receives half of the revenue from royalties if oil and gas are developed on the lease.
The BLM is a key contributor to the Trump Administration's America-First Energy Plan, an all-of-the-above strategy that includes oil and gas, coal, strategic minerals, and renewable sources such as wind, geothermal, and solar – all of which can be produced on public lands.
Background
The sale notice, environmental review documents, and additional information including protest instructions can be viewed online at https://www.blm.gov/programs/energy-and-minerals/oil-and-gas/leasing/regional-lease-sales/nevada. Paper copies are also available at the Nevada State Office Information Access Center, 1340 Financial Blvd., Reno, NV. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, visitors must make an appointment for the Information Access Center. The documents are also available by mail by calling the Information Access Center at 775-861-6500.
The BLM generated a record $1.1 billion from 28 oil and gas lease sales in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. The oil and gas industry on public lands in Nevada contributed $3.1 million in total economic output in FY 2018. Revenues from onshore oil and gas production on federal lands directly fund the U.S. Treasury, state budgets and support public education, infrastructure improvements, and other state-determined priorities. Nearly half the bid and rental receipts from lease sales go to the state of Nevada.
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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.