lease sale

Australia’s BHP Billiton and the recently acquired Anadarko Petroleum submitted the largest dollar totals of high bids in US Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 253.

The major’s dominant showing in US Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 252 propelled another rise in bids and dollars for the biannual regionwide auction.

ExxonMobil and Hess led the way in the most active regionwide US gulf lease sale thus far.

Industry interest in US Gulf of Mexico acreage declined in the number of bids and the dollars offered at the latest federal lease sale, compared with the prior sale. But there was still some confidence shown in higher risk prospects.