Hero Image
ocean floor with waves

Fact Sheets

Essential BOEM Mission Information

Oil and Gas

Oil & Gas Energy

Safe, reliable and affordable domestic energy production powers our economy, promotes jobs and is critical to our nation’s security. Offshore oil and gas play an important role in our national energy portfolio.

G and G Overview

Geological and Geophysical (G&G) Surveys

G&G surveys are conducted to: (1) obtain data for oil and gas (O&G) exploration and production, (2) aid in siting offshore (i.e., O&G, renewable energy) structures, and (3) locate marine mineral resources. More specifically, G&G surveys are necessary to make informed decisions about O&G resources, engineering decisions regarding the construction of offshore projects, and informed estimates regarding the composition and volume of sand and gravel resources.

Cover for Fact Sheet on NTL Rice's Whale

Voluntary Rice's Whale Precautions During Reinitiated Consultation with NMFS - BOEM NTL No. 2023-G01

BOEM Notice to Lessees (NTL) 2023-G01 was developed to provide recommendations for lessees and operators regarding voluntary measures for operational Rice’s whale precautions during the period when the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and BOEM are engaged in reinitiated consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) on the 2020 Biological Opinion, as amended (2020 BiOp).

Cover sheet for the Renewable Energy Fact Sheet

Renewable Energy

BOEM is responsible for overseeing offshore renewable energy development in OCS areas in an economically and environmentally sound manner. While BOEM's offshore renewable energy portfolio consists of several resources—including ocean wave and ocean current energy—offshore wind energy has garnered the most interest to date.

Offshore Wind Activities and Marine Mammal Protection

Offshore Wind Activities and Marine Mammal Protection

At the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), environmental protection—informed by the best available science and law—is a priority and an indispensable consideration in our decision making. Our approach to ocean energy and marine mineral development comes with our unwavering dedication to responsible stewardship, which includes protection of America’s ocean environment and marine life.

boem-poster-renewable-commercial-leasing-process.jpg

The Renewable Energy Process: Leasing to Operations

For any proposed OCS development, BOEM evaluates the potential impacts on ocean users, historic and cultural resources and the marine environment. BOEM uses a multi-phased process to grant access to ocean areas that are suitable for wind energy development that consists of the following phases: Planning and Analysis, Leasing, Site Assessment and Construction and Operations.

BOEM Environment Factsheet

Environment Fact Sheet

BOEM ensures that environmental protection—informed by the best available science and law—is a foremost concern and an indispensable consideration in BOEM’s decision making.

Marine Acoustic Managing Impact fact sheet cover page

Managing Impacts of Human-generated Noise on Marine Life

Through research and environmental reviews, BOEM plays a key role in improving the overall scientific understanding of the potential effects of anthropogenic, or human-generated, sound on marine life. This fact sheet describes BOEM’s adaptive management approach to developing and applying science for decisions on sound..

Handout for Offshore Construction Sounds Marine Life

Offshore Construction Sounds and Marine Life

There are many different sounds related to offshore construction activity, including the intentional transmission of sounds for characterizing the environment (such as geophysical sonars) and the inadvertent transmission of sounds (such as from vessel engines and pile driving). BOEM conducts environmental impact analyses to understand the effect that offshore development will have on marine resources and determine appropriate mitigations to reduce impacts.

Marine Minerals Overview

Marine Minerals - Overview

BOEM manages non-energy marine minerals (sand, gravel, etc.) in the OCS in a manner that facilitates access, promotes responsible use, and minimizes or avoids environmental impacts.

MMP Factsheet cover

Marine Minerals Program - Fast Facts

BOEM’s Marine Minerals Program is the sole federal program responsible for leasing non-energy resources (primarily sand and gravel) from the OCS, most often used in beach nourishment and coastal restoration projects. The bureau invests in applied environmental research to ensure that the removal of any mineral resource is done in a safe and environmentally sound manner.

Marine Minerals Information System

Marine Minerals Information System (MMIS)

The MMIS offers a one-stop, state-of-the-art interactive tool that provides public access to data and information relevant to offshore sand and gravel mineral resources. These resources are vital for the construction of coastal protection and restoration projects. This award-winning tool allows users to download, visualize and explore more than 20 data layers covering more than 30 years of research.

critical-mineral-state

Critical Mineral Resources

The U.S. has potential offshore critical minerals to supply our strategic need, but they are currently an underexplored and untapped resource.