New U.S. OCS oil and gas lease sales in the works

A new planning area offshore Alaska—the High Arctic—is being established as the 27th OCS planning area. {Image: BOEM]

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum last Friday directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to initiate the first step in a public engagement process to develop a new schedule for offshore oil and gas lease sales on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

“Launching the process to develop the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Program marks a decisive step toward securing American energy dominance,” said Secretary Burgum. “Through a transparent and inclusive public engagement process, we are reinforcing our commitment to responsible offshore energy development—driving job creation, bolstering economic growth and strengthening American energy independence. Under President Donald J. Trump’s leadership, we are unlocking the full potential of our offshore resources to benefit the American people for generations to come.”

“We applaud Secretary Burgum and the administration for taking decisive action to launch the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil & Gas Leasing Program—a critical step toward restoring long-term certainty and stability for the Gulf of America’s offshore energy sector,” said National Ocean Industries Association president Erik Milito “The Gulf of America—and the broader American offshore—plays an essential role in powering the nation, contributing nearly $33 billion to the U.S. economy each year, supporting close to 400,000 jobs, and reinforcing our energy security. A robust leasing program ensures continued investment, innovation, and global leadership in safe, responsible offshore energy production.”

Interior says that BOEM will soon publish in the Federal Register a Request for Information and Comments on the preparation of the 11th National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program. This publication will initiate a 45-day public comment period and serve as the initial step in the multi-year planning process.

BOEM’s jurisdiction on the OCS has recently changed. A new planning area offshore Alaska—the High Arctic—is being established as the 27th OCS planning area. Additionally, boundaries of other existing planning areas are being updated to align with BOEM’s revised jurisdiction. Details on these changes will be included in a forthcoming Federal Register notice and posted to BOEM’s website.

As mandated by the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the Department of the Interior must solicit input from interested and affected parties during development of the National OCS Program. Consistent with prior efforts, BOEM will request information on all OCS planning areas at this initial stage.

Once finalized, the 11th National OCS Program will replace the current 10th Program (2024–2029), which includes just three lease sales over five years—all located in the U.S. Gulf. While BOEM continues work to complete those sales, development of the 11th Program will proceed concurrently.

The RFI does not propose a specific timeline for future lease sales or make any early determinations regarding which areas may be included. Instead, it invites stakeholders to provide insight and recommendations for leasing opportunities, raise concerns and identify other existing uses that may be affected by offshore leasing.

The OCS plays a critical role in America’s energy security. As of April 1, 2025, BOEM manages 2,227 active oil and gas leases covering approximately 12.1 million acres in OCS regions. Of these, 469 leases are currently producing oil and gas.

These leases generate billions of dollars in revenue for the U.S. Treasury and state governments while supporting hundreds of thousands of American jobs. In fiscal year 2024 alone, production from OCS leases accounted for approximately 14% of domestic oil production and 2% of domestic natural gas production, yielding $7 billion in federal revenues.

Additionally, says Interior, the OCS holds vast quantities of undiscovered energy resources. BOEM’s most recent assessment estimates a mean of 68.79 billion barrels of oil and 229.03

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