Eastern States Oil and Gas Lease Sales

The BLM Eastern States offers parcels for lease at regularly-scheduled quarterly sales. Parcels offered may be in any one of numerous states east of the Mississippi River and are identified for sale by industry who submit Expressions of Interest for specific parcels. The BLM-ES holds quarterly lease sales in March, June, September and December.

View current and recent oil and gas lease sale notices and results below.

2024 Lease Sales

The Bureau of Land Management Eastern States Office held a competitive oil and gas leases sale of three parcels in Mississippi on March 26, 2024 online at www.energy.net.

BLM offered one parcel in Smith County and two parcels in Greene County, Mississippi. The three parcels had a combined acreage of 90.86 acres.

In total, one bid was received, with one parcel covering 2.70 acres leased, roughly three percent of the total acreage available. A total of $30 in high bids were received.

The environmental assessment, maps, parcel lists, Notice of Competitive Lease Sale and proposed lease stipulations are available online at the BLM’s ePlanning website at: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2026780/510.

Scoping Period: October 6, 2023 – November 6, 2023

Public Comment Period for Draft EA: November 29, 2023 – December 29, 2023

Sale Notice posting: January 26, 2024

Protest Period: January 26, 2024 – February 26, 2024

Sale Date: March 26, 2024

2023 Lease Sales

June 2023

On June 29, 2023, the Bureau of Land Management Eastern States Office conducted a competitive oil and gas lease sale offering four parcels covering 128.8 acres in Michigan and Louisiana. In total, the four parcels sold for $224,026. The sale was held online at www.energy.net.

The environmental assessment, maps, parcel lists, Notice of Competitive Lease Sale and proposed lease stipulations are available online at the BLM’s ePlanning website:

Michigan parcel (one parcel in Kalamazoo County, totaling 40 acres): https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020688/510

Louisiana parcels (three parcels in Caddo and Bossier parishes, totaling 88.81 acres): https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022413/510

Scoping Period: December 20, 2022 - January 19, 2023

Public Comment Period for Draft EA: March 10 - April 10, 2023

Sale Notice Posting: May 15, 2023

Protest Period: May 15 - June 14, 2023

Sale Date: June 29, 2023

2022 Lease Sales

On April 19, 2022, the State Director signed the Decision Record, selecting the No Action alternative. The decision is not to offer the one parcel located in Covington County, Alabama totaling 80.24 acres for competitive lease at the June 2022 Sale. More information can be found on ePlanning.

2021 Lease Sales

The following information references proposed sales which did not occur.

November 2021

The BLM extended its comment period by 10 days to ensure adequate public involvement. Information can be found on the BLM ePlanning site.

October 2021

The BLM sought public comments on a proposal to offer approximately 80 acres of federal oil and gas leases in Covington County, Alabama. Information can be found on the BLM ePlanning site.

August 2021

In August 2021, the parcels deferred from Q1 and Q2 under the DOI's guidance were posted for public comments: Department of Interior Press Release.

Maps, parcel lists, and additional information on the Covington County, Alabama, parcels are available online at ePlanning; for parcels in Jones and Franklin counties, Mississippi, visit ePlanning and ePlanning.

2020 Lease Sales

December 2020 Online Oil and Gas Lease Sale

The BLM-Eastern States announces an online oil and gas lease sale to be held December 17, 2020. The sale will include 15 onshore parcels totaling 1,494.1 acres located in Cleburne, Faulkner, Pope, and Van Buren Counties in Arkansas and Forrest, Jones, Perry and Stone Counties in Mississippi. All documents informing on this lease sale are available on the BLM ePlanning website. They include: the Sale Notice, which may be protested for a 10-day period ending Monday, November 9, 2020; all NEPA documents that analyzed the parcels offered; and the sale results, which will be posted by close of business on day of sale.

September 2020 Oil and Gas Lease Sale

The BLM-Eastern States announces a quarterly online oil and gas lease sale to be held September 24, 2020. The sale will include 15 onshore parcels totaling 1,612.25 acres located in Choctaw and Covington Counties, Alabama; Caddo Parish, Louisiana; Mecosta County, Michigan; George, Harrison, Jackson, and Lamar Counties, Mississippi; and on the Homochitto National Forest, Franklin County, Mississippi. All documents informing on this lease sale are available on the BLM ePlanning website (must be viewed in Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge). They include: the Sale Notice, which provides information in regard to a 10-day protest period; all NEPA documents that analyzed the parcels offered; and the sale results, which will be posted by close of business on day of sale.

March 19, 2020 Online Oil and Gas Lease Sale

All documents informing on this lease sale are available on the BLM ePlanning website. They include: the Sale Notice, which may be protested for a 10-day period ending Thursday, Febuary 13, 2020; all NEPA documents that analyzed the parcels offered; and the sale results, which will be posted by close of business on day of sale.

2019 Lease Sales

June 2019 Lease Sale Documents:

DOI-BLM-Eastern States-0000-2019-0003-OTHER_NEPA

Errata 1

September 2019 Lease Sale Documents:

DOI-BLM-Eastern States-0000-2019-0004-OTHER_NEPA

December 2019 Lease Sale Documents:

DOI-BLM-Eastern States-0020-2019-0011-DNA

2018 Lease Sales

March 2018 Lease Sale Documents:

DOI-BLM-Eastern States-0000-2018-0001-OTHER_NEPA

June 2018 Lease Sale Documents:

DOI-BLM-Eastern States-0000-2018-0002-OTHER_NEPA

September 2018 Lease Sale Documents:

DOI-BLM-Eastern States-0000-2018-0003-OTHER_NEPA

The offering of two parcels on the Wayne National Forest scheduled for lease at the September 2018 competitive sale, has been protested. The BLM voluntarily suspended them from the September sale for further administrative review, and may schedule them to be offered at a later sale date.

December 2018 Lease Sale Documents:

DOI-BLM-Eastern States-0000-2018-0004-OTHER_NEPA

2017 Lease Sales