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    Terry Scholten

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    5-Year OCS Leasing Program
 

Introduction

A 5-Year Program consists of a schedule of oil and gas lease sales indicating the size, timing and location of proposed leasing activity the Secretary determines will best meet national energy needs for the five year period following its approval. An area must be included in the current 5-Year Program in order to be offered for leasing. Section 18 (132.38 KB PDF) of the OCS Lands Act (286.05 KB PDF) prescribes the major steps (17.68 KB PDF) involved in developing a 5-Year Program including extensive public comment steps. A 5-Year Program balances energy needs and environmental considerations.

bullet OCS Oil and Gas Strategy

On March 31, 2010, the President and the Secretary announced the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Strategy as part of President Obama’s comprehensive energy plan for the country.  The Department is pursuing a balanced, science-based strategy for exploring and developing oil and gas resources on the Outer Continental Shelf.

The strategy will guide the current 2007-2012 offshore oil and gas leasing program, which is being revised under the Court’s order that one facet of the section 18 analysis was flawed, as well as the new 2012-2017 program that will supersede the 2010-2015 Draft Proposed Program (DPP) issued by the prior Administration.
 
bullet Preparation of the New OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program

As part of the March 31 strategy, MMS published a Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS listing the OCS areas to be scoped for inclusion in the 5-year EIS.  These areas are the Mid- and South Atlantic; Western, Central, and a portion of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico; and the Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, and Cook Inlet, Alaska.  Scoping meetings will be held in June 2010 (times and venues to be announced) and the comment period closes on June 30, 2010.   While this decision is not a final determination of the areas to be considered for leasing in the final 5-year schedule of proposed lease sales, any areas not analyzed in the new EIS cannot be later considered for leasing in the 2012-2017 program. 

On August 1, 2008, MMS initiated the 5-year program preparation process with publication of a Request for Information (RFI) on a program to cover the 2010-2015 time period, two years earlier than the usual cycle.  On January 16, 2009, MMS announced the release of the Draft Proposed Program (DPP), the first of three program proposals under section 18 of the OCS Lands Act.

On February 10, 2009, Secretary Salazar extended the comment period on the DPP to September 21, 2009, and he conducted 4 regional meetings in April to provide additional opportunities for input by all stakeholders. MMS received over 534,000 comments.
 
bullet Q&A’s on 2012-2017 Program
 
bullet Scoping notice for 5-year EIS
 
bullet Current OCS Oil & Gas Leasing Program: 2007- 2012

Last Updated: 05/21/2010, 12:09 PM Central Time