Most BLM lands in the five-state Rocky Mountain region are available for oil and gas leasing.
- A 1995 BLM evaluation of the amount of BLM acreage available for oil and gas leasing in the five Rocky Mountain States indicated that over 96% of BLM lands in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah were then available for leasing. 1
Most oil and gas resources on public lands in the five Rocky Mountain States are available for leasing and development
- The 2003 “EPCA” report, prepared by the BLM, indicates that 85 percent of oil resources, and 88 percent of natural gas resources occurring on federal lands in the five Rocky Mountain States were available for leasing and development. Only 12 percent of federal natural gas resources were off-limits to leasing. 2
Over 42,000,000 acres of BLM lands are currently under lease for oil and gas. 3
- However, only 11,413,000 acres under lease were in production in 2002. 4
In 2003, the BLM issued a record number of drilling permits on BLM lands– 4,067. 5
- But the industry drilled 2,878 wells on those permits, leaving over 1100 undrilled. 6
Although “seasonal wildlife stipulations” are characterized by the oil and gas industry as “impediments” to development, the record shows that these protections are usually waived.
- For example, during the 2002-2003 winter season, the Pinedale (WY) BLM Field Office received 137 industry requests for “exceptions” to protective sage grouse stipulations. The BLM granted all 137 requests. Likewise, the BLM Pinedale office received 61 requests for “exceptions” to raptor stipulations, and granted 60. 7
Although (1) most BLM lands are available for development, (2) the vast majority of federal oil and gas resources are available for development, (3) the vast majority of leased BLM lands are not in production, and (4) the BLM every year issues more drilling permits than the industry can actually drill, why does the BLM continue to issue leases on environmentally sensitive lands?
For More Information
Footnotes
1 BLM, “Availability of Public Lands,” 1995
2 BLM, “EPCA Inventory Fact Sheet,” 1/15/03, p. 3.
3 BLM, “Oil and Gas Leasing Statistics, March 4, 2004” (table)
4 BLM, Public Rewards From Public Lands 2003, p. 2.
5 Personal communication, Jeff Crouse, BLM, 3/18/04
6 BLM, “Oil and Gas Leasing Statistics,March 4, 2004”
7 BLM, “Sage Grouse Winter and Nesting Exceptions 2002-2003,” and, Raptor Winter and Nesting Exceptions 2002-2003,” Pinedale Field Office, August 1, 2003.
