BLM Colorado oil and gas lease sale nets $3,364,526
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DENVER – In keeping with the Administration’s goals of promoting America’s energy independence, the Bureau of Land Management Colorado today sold 20 parcels totaling 8,160 acres for $3,364,526 including rentals and fees at its quarterly oil and gas lease sale.
The combined bids from the sale will be distributed between the federal government and the State of Colorado.
The BLM offered 14 parcels totaling approximately 3,405 acres in Kiowa, Lincoln, Washington and Weld counties, Colorado. Five parcels in Garfield County and one parcel in Mesa County totaling approximately 4,755 acres in the U.S. Forest Service’s White River National Forest were offered – these parcels were analyzed in detail in the 2015 White River National Forest Oil and Gas Environmental Impact Statement, which updated stipulations to protect resources. The highest per-acre price was $3,251 sold to Clear Creek Resource Partners Agent Corp. More details about this and other lease sales in Colorado are available online at www.blm.gov/colorado/oil-gas.
Oil and gas lease sales support domestic energy production and American energy independence. The BLM’s all-of-the-above approach to energy development includes oil and gas, coal, strategic minerals and renewable sources, which can all be developed on public lands.
The BLM’s policy is to promote oil and gas development if it meets the guidelines and regulations set forth by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and other subsequent laws and policies passed by the U.S. Congress. The sales are also in keeping with the Administration’s America First Energy Plan, which includes development of fossil fuels and coal, as well as renewable energy.
Oil and gas leases are awarded for a term of ten years and as long thereafter as there is production of oil and gas in paying quantities. The federal government receives a royalty of 12.5 percent of the value of production. The State of Colorado receives 49 percent of revenues from leases issued on public lands in Colorado.
In Fiscal Year 2016, oil and gas development on public lands directly contributed $796 million to Colorado’s economy. BLM Colorado received more than $144 million in federal revenues, including royalties, rents and bonus bids, from oil and gas development on public lands. Statewide, more than 22,900 jobs are tied to mineral and energy development on public lands.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.