Nov 1, 2023 Industry Comments on 2024-2029 Gulf of Mexico Multi Sale Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Notice of Intent
The American Petroleum Institute (API), Energeo Alliance (Energeo), Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association (LMOGA), National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), and Offshore Operators Committee (OOC) (collectively, the Associations) offer the following comments on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare another Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for a “representative oil and gas lease sale” in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Eastern, Central and Western Planning Areas scheduled as part of the 2024-2029 Five-Year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Leasing Program. 88 Fed. Reg. at 67,803. For many years, the Associations and our members have worked collaboratively with the Department of the Interior (DOI) and its agencies (including BOEM) in support of the continued safety of industry workers and protection of the environment both offshore and onshore. At the same time, our members rely heavily on Congress’ statutory mandates (repeatedly recognized by the courts) that DOI make the OCS available for leasing and expeditious development. Many of our members are involved in exploring for and developing oil and natural gas resources in the GOM and we support BOEM holding all lease sales as scheduled in the 2024-2029 Proposed Final Program and offering all unleased acreage not subject to moratorium in those lease sales. Accordingly, BOEM should pursue Alternative B in the NOI.
