National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program

On September 29, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced the availability of the 2024–2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed Final Program (PFP) and corresponding Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The 2024–2029 PFP includes three potential OCS oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Program Area (See Sale Schedule Tab), which includes the Western GOM Planning Area and the portions of the Central and Eastern GOM planning areas not currently under Presidential withdrawal. 

Primary Documents

• 2024–2029 Proposed Final Program Document
• Notice of Availability for the Proposed Final Program Document and Final Programmatic EIS
• Final Programmatic EIS
  • Volume I
  • Volume II (appendices)

Supplemental Information

• Economic Analysis Methodology for the 2024–2029 National OCS Program
• Oil and Gas Economic Modeling Documentation
• GIS files for the 2024–2029 Proposed Final Program 

Next Steps  

Following the publication of the PFP and Final Programmatic EIS, a 60-day waiting period is required before the Secretary can approve the 2024-2029 National OCS Program via a combined decision memo and Record of Decision.

After consideration of the OCS Lands Act Section 18 requirements and factors (See Requirements & Factors Tab), as well as input from governors and the public, the Secretary of the Interior determined that three potential lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Program Area would be included in the 2024–2029 Proposed Final Program. The GOM Program Area is comprised of the Western GOM Planning Area and the portions of the Central and Eastern GOM planning areas not currently under Presidential withdrawal.

2024–2029 Proposed Final Program Area

GIS files for the 2024-2029 Proposed Final Program

For more information about the lease sale planning process, check out the following links:

• Oil and Gas Lease Sales
• 2024-2029 GOM Call for Information and Nominations
• Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Programmatic EIS

Under Section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act, the Secretary of the Interior is responsible for approving a schedule of lease sales for a 5-year period in a National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program (National OCS Program). BOEM is responsible for developing the National OCS Program, advising the Secretary, and administering the National OCS Program once adopted.  

The development of the National OCS Program includes five steps with three opportunities for public comment, as outlined in the table below. 

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Process 

The National OCS Program documents dovetail with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process to meet the robust requirements and factors of Section 18.

• Since several of the Section 18 requirements and factors closely align with the requirements of NEPA, the National
  OCS Program development process incorporates the NEPA process through the preparation of an Environmental
  Impact Statement.  
• Typically, winnowing occurs during each of the analytical phases and only those program areas and subarea options that
  the Secretary decides are appropriate to carry forward for further analysis are included in the next analytical document.   
• The decision to include areas in a potential lease sale schedule is based on the evaluation of specific OCS Lands
  Act Section 18 requirements and factors (See Requirements & Factors tab) when selecting the size, timing,
  and location of proposed lease sales that best meet national energy needs.   

After National OCS Program Approval 

For a lease sale to be held, it must be included in an approved National OCS Program. A lease sale cannot be added to an existing, approved OCS Program without an act of Congress. Whether a lease sale is held depends on sale-specific analysis. Once a sale is held, BOEM performs a 90-day review and accepts or rejects the bids. 

A lease conveys the rights to explore for, develop, and produce the oil and gas contained within the lease area. The lease is a contractual agreement and defines requirements for surety bonds, royalty payments, rental payments, and assignment or other transfers. Once granted, an oil and gas lease gives the lessee a primary term ranging from 5 to 10 years, depending on water depth, to explore and develop the lease.  A lessee must relinquish the lease if no activity has occurred within that specified amount of time. All exploration, development, and production plans are carefully reviewed by BOEM. Once lessees receive plan approval from BOEM, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) then exercises primary oversight of all permitting and operational activities (e.g., drilling and production). The Pre-Lease and Post-Lease processes are outlined in greater detail in the figure below. 

Click on the accordions below to learn more about the development of the National OCS Program.

Introduction to the National Program Process

Information about the National OCS Program process.
 

Oil & Gas Resource Assessment and Economic Considerations

Information about how the National Oil & Gas Geologic Resource Assessment is conducted to find potential oil and gas, and how it informs National OCS Program decisions. These materials provide information about the economic analysis conducted to inform National OCS Program decisions, and what economic factors are considered in evaluating a program area.
 

Environmental Considerations

The Programmatic EIS is prepared following the process prescribed by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and in accordance with the April 2022 revised NEPA regulations. The Programmatic EIS includes an analysis of the proposed action, alternatives, and cumulative and cross-boundary impacts.

Outreach

The OCS Lands Act prescribes the major steps (See Program Development Tab) to develop a National OCS Program, including opportunities for public comment. In August and September of 2022, BOEM held four robust and interactive experience Virtual Open House Public Meetings. Participants were given the opportunity to visit several virtual stations to have open discussions with BOEM staff and to ask any questions or request additional information.

Section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to establish a schedule of lease sales for a five-year period by balancing specific factors of OCS regions and selecting the size, timing, and location of OCS lease sales that best meet regional and national energy needs and consider the impact of oil and gas exploration on the marine, coastal, and human environments.    

When determining the schedule of lease sales, the OCS Lands Act requires the Secretary to consider the following four requirements and eight factors: 

Section 18(a)(1): Economic, social, and environmental values 
Section 18(a)(2): Factors for determining size, timing, and location of leasing 

1. Equitable sharing of developmental benefits and environmental risks among the regions;   
2. Existing information on geographical, geological, and ecological characteristics of regions;  
3. Location of regions with respect to, and the relative needs of, regional and national energy markets; 
4. Location of regions with respect to other uses of the sea and seabed, including fisheries, navigation, existing or proposed sea-lanes, potential sites of deepwater ports, and other anticipated uses of the resources and space of the OCS;   
5. Expressed interest of potential oil and gas producers in the development of oil and gas resources;  
6. Laws, goals, and policies of affected states, identified by Governors as relevant matters for the Secretary’s consideration;   
7. Relative environmental sensitivity and marine productivity of different OCS areas; and   
8. Relevant environmental and predictive information for different OCS areas. 

Section 18(a)(3): Balancing the potential for environmental damage, discovery of oil and gas, and adverse impact on the coastal zone 
Section 18(a)(4): Assure receipt of fair market value for the lands leased and the rights conveyed 

The 2024–2029 Proposed Final Program document and Final Programmatic EIS present the latest analysis of these requirements and factors (See What's New? Tab).