Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale Postponed Amid Legal Battles Over Whale Protections

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management delays lease sale, covering millions of acres off Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, following lawsuit over reduced auction size and endangered whale protections.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has postponed the sale of oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico due to legal battles over protections for an endangered species of whale.
The sale of the leases, covering millions of acres off the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, was initially scheduled for September 27, 2023, but was delayed due to a proposed legal settlement over protections for the endangered whale species.
BOEM had initially scaled back the area for sale from 73 million acres to 67 million acres, causing backlash from oil companies and the state of Louisiana, which led to an ongoing legal battle.
Despite pressure from oil industry representatives and industry supporters in Congress to hold the full-sized lease sale on November 8, BOEM decided to delay the event citing legal uncertainties ahead of a November 13 appeals court hearing.
The delay has prompted criticism from industry groups like the American Petroleum Institute and the National Ocean Industries Association. Conversely, environmental groups such as Earthjustice have expressed approval of BOEM's decision to comply with court orders.