The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) completed its required evaluation to ensure the public receives fair market value for tracts leased in Gulf of Mexico Regionwide Lease Sale 253, held on August 21, 2019.
After extensive geological, geophysical, engineering, and economic analysis, BOEM has awarded 147 leases on tracts covering 811,966.715 acres to high bidders who participated in the sale. The accepted high bids are valued at $155.0 million. BOEM accepted the 147 bids after determining that the value of each bid was sufficient to provide the public with fair market value for each tract. The highest bid accepted was $22.5 million submitted by BHP Billiton Petroleum (Deepwater) Inc. for Green Canyon 124.
During the sale, 27 companies participated, and 165 bids were received totaling $174.9 million on 151 tracts covering 835,006.72 acres of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). A total of $159.4 million in high bids was offered in the lease sale. Four bids were rejected totaling $4.4 million.
For more information on Sale 253 go to https://www.boem.gov/Sale-253/.