Offshore lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico called off
The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has suspended a lease sale for offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Louisiana.
By Michael McGrady, Maritime Direct Americas & Pacific Correspondent
NEW ORLEANS — The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced on Feb. 12 that it rescinded a record of decision for a proposed sale of rights for offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
BOEM issued the decision under the Trump administration via Oil and Gas Lease Sale 257.
According to a notice from the bureau, the motion to rescind the record of decision (ROD) for Gulf of Mexico oil and gas leasing is a part of the climate change policy championed by the White House and new President Joe Biden.
The initial decision regarding the lease was expected to occur in March.
The ROD is being rescinded in response to Executive Order 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” notes the bureau.
“The order, which was signed by President Biden on Jan. 27, directs the Secretary of the Interior to pause new oil and gas leasing on public lands and offshore waters pending completion of a comprehensive review of Federal oil and gas activities,” a press statement discloses.
Biden has banned new offshore oil and gas drilling in US waters.
