The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received bonus bids totaling $49.4 million for 8,271 acres at the quarterly oil and gas lease sale conducted by the BLM-Utah State Office in Salt Lake City.
The BLM sold 11 of the 13 offered parcels. In addition to the bonus bids, the sale netted $12,414 in rental fees and $1,650 in administrative fees, for $49,439,843 in total revenues from this lease sale.В Receipts from federal oil and gas leases are shared with the state and county where the leased lands are located.
Bill Barrett Corporation of Denver, Colo., submitted the highest total bid per acre – $12,100 on parcel number 20 containing 811 acres located in the Price Field Office. The highest total bid per parcel was submitted by XTO Energy, of Houston, Tex. – $18.6 million on parcel 19 containing 1,751 acres located in the Price Field Office.
All leases are issued with conditions on oil and gas activities to protect the environment; these can include limits on when drilling can occur or restrictions on surface occupancy.В Once an operator proposes exploration or development on a BLM-issued lease, further environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act is conducted to determine the site-specific need for various types of impact-limiting or mitigation measures.В In addition, many operators routinely use Best Management Practices, such as remote monitoring of producing wells, to minimize surface impact.
Additional information regarding competitive sale lists, detailed results of oil and gas lease sales, or the leasing process is available by writing the Bureau of Land Management, 440 West 200 South, Ste. 500, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84101, or online at: https://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/energy/oil_and_gas/oil_and_gas_lease.html.