A statement posted on the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (DOI) website on Thursday revealed that U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has signed an order “to unleash American offshore energy”.
In this statement, the DOI announced a Secretary’s Order, titled Unleashing American Offshore Energy, which the DOI said directs the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) “to take the necessary steps, in accordance with federal law, to terminate the restrictive Biden 2024-2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program and replace it with a new, expansive 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program by October 2026”.
“As part of this directive, the Department is releasing the Secretary’s Draft Proposed Program for the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program,” the DOI noted in the statement.
“Under the new proposal for the 2026-2031 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, Interior is taking a major step to boost United States energy independence and sustain domestic oil and gas production,” it added.
“The proposal includes as many as 34 potential offshore lease sales across 21 of 27 existing Outer Continental Shelf planning areas, covering approximately 1.27 billion acres. That includes 21 areas off the coast of Alaska, seven in the Gulf of America, and six along the Pacific coast,” it continued.
“The proposal also includes the Secretary’s decision to create a new administrative planning area, the South-Central Gulf of America,” it went on to state.
In its statement, the DOI said the current proposal follows a public request for information and comment published in April 2025. The DOI stated that it received more than 86,000 comments from stakeholders, states, industry representatives, and members of the public. Feedback from those comments informed the proposal released on Thursday, the DOI highlighted.
The DOI also said in the statement that, “before the program and individual lease sales are finalized, the public will have multiple opportunities to provide input”. The DOI added that it encourages broad participation in the upcoming 60-day public comment period, which it said will begin when the proposal is published in the Federal Register on November 24.
The DOI statement also noted that the announcement marks the first of three proposals that will be developed before final approval of the 2026-2031 program.
“Inclusion of a planning area in this proposal does not guarantee that it will be included in the final program or offered for lease,” the DOI said in the statement, adding that “each lease sale will undergo additional review, environmental analysis, and opportunities for public comment”.
In the statement, Burgum said, “offshore oil and gas production does not happen overnight – it takes years of planning, investment, and hard work before barrels reach the market”.
“The Biden administration slammed the brakes on offshore oil and gas leasing and crippled the long-term pipeline of America’s offshore production,” he added.
“By moving forward with the development of a robust, forward-thinking leasing plan, we are ensuring that America’s offshore industry stays strong, our workers stay employed, and our nation remains energy dominant for decades to come,” he continued.
Jarrod Agen, Executive Director of the National Energy Dominance Council, said in the statement, “offshore oil and gas development requires long-term vision, steady policy, and the confidence for companies to invest in American energy”.
“By putting a real leasing plan back on track, we’re restoring energy security, protecting American jobs, and strengthening the nation’s ability to lead on energy for decades to come,” he added.
As of September 1, 2025, BOEM manages 2,073 active offshore oil and gas leases covering about 11.2 million acres, the DOI statement pointed out, noting that offshore production accounts for roughly 15 percent of the nation’s domestic oil output. The statement highlighted that the Outer Continental Shelf “is estimated to contain about 68.8 billion barrels of oil and 229 trillion cubic feet of natural gas yet to be discovered”.
In a statement posted on the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) website on Thursday, API President and CEO Mike Sommers described the DOI’s proposed new offshore leasing program as “a historic step toward unleashing our nation’s vast offshore resources”.
“We applaud Secretary Burgum for laying the groundwork for a new and more expansive five-year program that unlocks opportunities for long-term investment offshore and supports energy affordability at a time of rising demand at home and abroad,” Sommers added.
National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Erik Milito said in a statement sent to Rigzone on Thursday, “we commend Secretary Burgum and the Department of the Interior for taking this important step to fix a leasing program that was wholly insufficient”.
“We look forward to working with policymakers to ensure the Gulf continues to lead America’s energy future,” he added.
The API represents all segments of America’s natural gas and oil industry, the organization states on its site. NOIA states on its site that it serves the offshore oil, gas, and wind industries.
In a statement posted on its website on Thursday, the Sierra Club, which describes itself as the most enduring and influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States, criticized the DOI’s new offshore drilling plan.
To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com
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