US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to initiate the first step in a public engagement process to develop a new schedule for offshore oil and gas lease sales on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
BOEM will soon publish in the Federal Register a Request for Information (RFI) and Comments on the preparation of the 11th National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program. The publication will initiate a 45-day public comment period and serve as the initial step in the multiyear planning process.
BOEM’s jurisdiction on the OCS has recently changed. A new planning area offshore Alaska—the High Arctic—is being established as the 27th OCS planning area. Additionally, boundaries of other existing planning areas are being updated to align with BOEM’s revised jurisdiction. Details on these changes will be included in a forthcoming Federal Register notice and posted to BOEM’s website.
“Launching the process to develop the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Program marks a decisive step toward securing American energy dominance,” Burgum said. “Through a transparent and inclusive public engagement process, we are reinforcing our commitment to responsible offshore energy development—driving job creation, bolstering economic growth, and strengthening American energy independence.”
As mandated by the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the Department of the Interior (DOI) must solicit input from interested and affected parties during development of the National OCS Program. Consistent with prior efforts, BOEM will request information on all OCS planning areas at this initial stage.
Once finalized, the 11th National OCS Program will replace the current 10th Program (2024–2029), which includes just three lease sales over 5 years—all located in the GOM. While BOEM continues work to complete those sales, development of the 11th Program will proceed concurrently.
The RFI does not propose a specific timeline for future lease sales or make any early determinations regarding which areas may be included. Instead, it invites stakeholders to provide insight and recommendations for leasing opportunities, raise concerns, and identify other existing uses that may be affected by offshore leasing.
As of 1 April 2025, BOEM manages 2,227 active oil and gas leases covering approximately 12.1 million acres in OCS regions. Of these, 469 leases are currently producing oil and gas.
These leases generate billions of dollars in revenue for the U.S. Treasury and state governments while supporting hundreds of thousands of American jobs. In fiscal year 2024, production from OCS leases accounted for approximately 14% of domestic oil production and 2% of domestic natural gas production, yielding $7 billion in federal revenues, according to the DOI.
BOEM recently revised the estimated resource potential of the US GOM upward. Analysis reveals an additional 1.30 billion BOE since 2021, bringing the total reserve estimate to 7.04 billion BOE. This includes 5.77 billion bbl of oil and 7.15 Tcf of natural gas, a 22.6% increase in remaining recoverable reserves.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration reaffirmed its commitment to offshore energy development. On 4 April 2025, Secretary Burgum directed BOEM to move forward with a lease sale in the US GOM. BOEM anticipates publishing a proposed notice of sale in June 2025.
