BOEM releases draft supplemental EIS for gulf lease sales

The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management completed a draft supplemental environmental impact statement covering two proposed federal oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico. BOEM plans to hold public hearings and is seeking comments on the proposed sales, which are tentatively scheduled for 2013 and 2014, BOEM said.

It said hearings will be held Dec. 3 in Houston; Dec. 4 in New Orleans; Dec. 5 in Gulfport, Miss.; and Dec. 6 in Mobile, Ala. Comments will be accepted until Dec. 24, 45 days after the scheduled Nov. 9 publication of the draft supplemental EIS notice in the Federal Register.

The draft SEIS covers Lease Sale 233 in 2013 in the western gulf off Texas and Lease Sale 231 in 2014 in the central gulf off Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, BOEM said.

It said the Nov. 29 western gulf lease sale will build on two major gulf sales in the past year: one covering 21 million acres in December 2011 and a second covering 39 million acres in June 2012.

Contact Nick Snow at [email protected].