The Bureau of Land Management New Mexico State Office announced an oil and gas lease sale scheduled for Feb. 20, 2025, to offer seven oil and gas parcels totaling 1,317 acres in New Mexico. The BLM completed scoping on these parcels in June 2024 and held a public comment period that closed in August 2024 on the parcels, potential deferrals, and the related environmental analysis. A 30-day public protest period to receive additional public input opened Nov. 7 and will close Dec. 9, 2024.
Leasing is the first step in the process to develop federal oil and gas resources. Before development operations can begin, an operator must submit an application for permit to drill detailing development plans. The BLM reviews applications for permits to drill, posts them for public review, conducts an environmental analysis and coordinates with state partners and stakeholders.
The parcels the BLM has analyzed, as well as maps and instructions on how to submit a protest are available on the BLM’s ePlanning website at: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2032203/570.
