Federal Onshore and Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Pause and Review

Jan. 27, 2015 President Obama withdraws certain areas in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas off the coast of Alaska from consideration for oil and gas leasing.

Dec. 20, 2016 President Obama issues two Presidential Memoranda withdrawing 3.8 million acres of OCS oil and gas development in the Atlantic and 115 million acres in the Arctic. All told, President Obama protects 125 million acres of the Arctic offshore.

March 28, 2017 President Trump issues Executive Order 13783 which directs executive agencies to review and revise regulations that burden domestic energy production.

March 29, 2017 Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke issues Secretarial Order 3349 which directs the Department of Interior to review and revise regulations that burden domestic energy production in line with Executive Order 13783.

April 28, 2017 President Trump signs Executive Order 13795 to “encourage energy exploration and production” on the outer continental shelf. The Order directs agencies to reconsider actions taken under the Obama administration to limit or regulate offshore oil and gas development, including efforts to limit areas available for leasing.

July 6, 2017 Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke issues Secretarial Order 3354 which directs the Bureau of Land Management to more regularly implement oil and gas lease sales and to make its permitting processes more efficient.

May 28, 2019 The Trump administration appeals to the Ninth Circuit a March 29, 2019 decision by a federal judge to reinstate Pres. Obama’s withdrawals of Arctic and Atlantic areas from oil and gas leasing. League of Conservation Voters v. Trump, No. 19-35460 (9th Cir.).

March 29, 2019 A federal judge in Alaska vacates Sec. 5 of President Trump’s EO 13795, reinstating former President Obama’s Jan. 27, 2015 and Dec. 20, 2016 withdrawals of Arctic and Atlantic coastal areas from oil and gas leasing. League of Conservation Voters v. Trump, No. 3:17-cv-00101-SLG (D. Alaska).

Jan. 20, 2021 DOI issues Secretarial Order No. 3395, announcing that the agency is temporarily suspending its authority to issue any onshore or offshore fossil fuel authorizations, including new  lease sales, for 60 days.

Jan. 20, 2021 In Executive Order 13990, President Biden revokes the Trump Executive Order 13783 titled “Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth.” EO 13783 directed federal agencies to streamline the oil and gas leasing process and suspend, revise, or rescind regulations that burdened the development of domestic energy resources.

Jan. 27, 2021 President Biden signs Executive Order 14008, which pauses all new federal offshore and onshore oil and gas leasing pending a comprehensive review of the leasing and permitting program. The order also revokes Trump’s EO 13795.

Jan. 27, 2022 Western Energy Alliance petitions the District of Wyoming to review President Biden’s suspension of the oil and gas leasing program. Western Energy Alliance v. Biden, No. 0:21-cv-00013 (D. Wyo.).

March 24, 2021 Louisiana and twelve other states file a lawsuit challenging President Biden’s pause on new federal oil and gas lease sales arguing that the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) and the current 5-year Leasing Program prohibit the moratorium. Louisiana v. Biden, Docket No. 2:21-CV-00778 (W.D. La.).

April 13, 2021 The Ninth Circuit dismisses the appeal of the March 29, 2019 decision by a federal judge to reinstate President Obama’s withdrawals of Arctic and Atlantic areas from oil and gas leasing because President Biden’s Executive Order 13990 revoking Trump’s EO 13795 rendered the appeal moot. League of Conservation Voters v. Trump, No. 19-35460 (9th Cir.).

June 15, 2021 A federal judge in the Western District of Louisiana issues a preliminary injunction blocking President Biden’s pause on oil and gas lease sales. The court holds that the leasing moratorium violates statutory authority given to DOI, the Bureau of Land Management, and BOEM under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and the current 5-year leasing program. The judge further holds that the immediate impact of the pause renders the preliminary injunction an appropriate remedy and that the DOI may not continue to pause upcoming Lease Sales 257 or 258. Louisiana v. Biden, Docket No. 2:21-CV-00778 (W.D. La.).

Aug. 9, 2021 Plaintiff states file a motion asking the court to order Lease Sale 257 and asking the federal government to show why its failure to make the sale does not put it in contempt of the preliminary injunction. Louisiana v. Biden, Docket No. 2:21-CV-00778 (W.D. La.).

Aug. 16, 2021 The Biden administration appeals the preliminary injunction that blocked the moratorium on new federal oil and gas leasing. Louisiana v. Biden, Docket No. 2:21-CV-00778 (W.D. La.).

Aug. 24, 2021 DOI announces that it will continue to prepare lease sales during the appeal process.

Aug. 24, 2021 The Department of Justice (DOJ) files a memorandum in response to the plaintiff states’ August 9 motion. DOJ argues that DOI had restarted the leasing program and was therefore complying with the preliminary injunction. DOJ further argues that the preliminary injunction did not require the Lease Sale to occur on any timeline, and the government was therefore entitled to complete a new environmental review. Louisiana v. Biden, Docket No. 2:21-CV-00778 (W.D. La.).

Aug. 31, 2021 Environmental groups file a lawsuit challenging DOI’s decision to hold Lease Sale 257 in the Gulf of Mexico, seeking vacatur and injunction of the sale. The groups argue that the sale of Lease 257 violates the NEPA and the APA and estimate that the sale “will result in the production of up to 1.12 billion barrels and 4.4 trillion cubic feet of fossil fuels over the next 50 years.” Friends of the Earth, et al. v. Haaland, et al., Docket No. 1:21-cv-02317 (D.D.C.).

Sept. 17, 2021 Plaintiff states withdraw their motion to compel Lease Sale 257. Louisiana v. Biden, Docket No. 2:21-CV-00778 (W.D. La.).

Oct. 4, 2021 BOEM publishes a notice in the federal register that it will open and publicly announce bids received for oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico Outercontinental Gas Lease Sale 257 on Nov. 17, 2021.

Oct. 29, 2021 BOEM publishes a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for Lease Sale 258, which would offer leasing for oil and gas in Cook Inlet in the Gulf of Alaska. BOEM also announces a 45-day public comment period on the DEIS.

Nov. 17, 2021 BOEM holds its largest sale ever, the Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 257 for 308 tracts, covering 1.07 million acres of federal waters in the Gulf. In approving the sale, the DOI claimed it was acting “consistent with a U.S. District Court’s preliminary injunction.” However, environmental groups argue that this sale was not required by the June 15 preliminary injunction. These groups contend that by not conducting a new environmental review like the DOJ memo suggested was allowed, the federal government sped up the lease sale and worked against its decarbonization goals.

Nov. 26, 2021 DOI issues a report reviewing the federal oil and gas leasing process and making recommendations for reform. The report finds, among other things, that the current system does not give taxpayers fair returns and does not fully account for environmental harm, and that the current system encourages speculation by and decreases competition among oil companies. The report outlines recommendations to fix these problems and concludes that DOI is deciding how it will act on these recommendations and encourages Congress to pass reforms to the oil and gas leasing process.

Dec. 3, 2021 Democratic members of the House Committee on Natural Resources file an amicus brief in support of environmental groups challenging the Gulf of Mexico lease sale, arguing that the administration’s environmental review “substantially underestimates” the environmental harms of the lease sale. The brief also argues that the nationwide injunction issued by the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana “in no way excused” DOI’s obligations under NEPA and the APA. Friends of the Earth, et al., v. Haaland, et al., No. 21-cv-02317-RC (D.D.C.).

Jan. 19, 2022 Over 360 environmental groups sent a legal petition to the Biden administration to reduce oil and gas drilling to 98% lower than current levels by 2035. The petition explains that, without action, it will be difficult for the United States to keep its pledge to keep global temperatures from rising beyond 1.5℃. 

Jan. 20, 2022 Over 80 environmental organizations sign and send a letter to the Biden administration, which urges the Department of the Interior to write a new 5-year Offshore Lease Program that bans lease sales starting in 2022. The letter also calls on Secretary Haaland to repudiate Lease Sale 257. 

Jan. 27, 2022 The District Court for the District of Columbia blocks Lease Sale 257 in the Gulf of Mexico because the Department of the Interior failed to take a “hard look” at the environmental impact of the project or to account for the effect of overseas fossil fuel use when calculating climate impacts, which violated the National Environmental Policy Act. Friends of the Earth, et al., v. Haaland, et al., No. 21-cv-02317-RC (D.D.C.). For more background on the ruling, see EELP’s overview of the NEPA Review Process or visit our NEPA Tracker Page for the most up to date review requirements. 

Feb. 1, 2022 The Department of the Interior mistakenly posted language on its oil and gas webpage that indicated royalty fees for leases would increase to 18.75%. The Department later removed the language, and a spokesperson for the Department said the decision to increase royalty rates was not yet final.

Feb. 8, 2022 310 environmental groups file a petition asking the Department of the Interior to immediately stop new drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

Feb. 8, 2022 Intervenor defendant, the American Petroleum Institute files a notice of appeal with the D.C. Circuit, challenging the D.C District Court’s decision to block Lease Sale 257 in the Gulf of Mexico. Friends of the Earth, et al. v. Haaland, et al., Docket No. 1:21-cv-02317 (D.D.C.).

Feb. 14, 2022 Louisiana, another intervenor defendant, files a notice of appeal in the D.C. Circuit case that blocked Lease Sale 257. Friends of the Earth, et al. v. Haaland, et al., Docket No. 22-05037 (D.C. Cir).

Feb. 14, 2022 The Biden administration asks the 5th Circuit to reverse the Western District of Louisiana’s decision that blocked the Biden administration’s moratorium on new oil and gas drilling on federal lands and waters. Among other issues, the Biden administration argues that Biden’s Executive Order 14008 is both lawful and unreviewable and that the plaintiffs relied on erroneous interpretations of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and the Mineral Leasing Act. Louisiana v. Biden, Docket No. 21-30505 (5th Cir.)

Feb. 18, 2022 Environmental groups file a motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction in the D.C. Circuit case that blocked Lease Sale 257. Friends of the Earth, et al. v. Haaland, et al., Docket No. 22-05037 (D.C. Cir).

Feb. 22, 2022 A federal judge in the Western District of Louisiana blocks the Biden administration’s application of an interim social cost of carbon metric., Louisiana v. Biden, No. 21-cv-01074 (W.D. La.). For updates on the metric and this litigation, see our Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases tracker page. In light of this decision, the Biden administration announces that it will delay decisions on new oil and gas drilling on federal lands. 

Feb. 28, 2022 The Biden administration announces that it will not appeal the District Court’s decision that canceled Lease Sale 257 in the Gulf of Mexico. Friends of the Earth, et al. v. Haaland, et al., Docket No. 1:21-cv-02317 (D.D.C.).

Mar. 8, 2022 The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denies an emergency motion by American Petroleum Institute to expedite the appeal of the District Court decision that canceled Lease Sale 257. Friends of the Earth, et al. v. Haaland, et al., Docket No. 22-05037 (D.C. Cir).

Apr. 15, 2022 To comply with the preliminary injunction issued by the court in Louisiana v. Biden, the DOI announces that the BLM will issue notices for lease sales that will increase in royalty rates from 12.5% to 18.75% and limit the acreage available for leasing. Though this round of lease sales will move forward, the Biden administration continues its appeal of that injunction. Louisiana et al v Biden et al, Docket No. 2:21-cv-00778 (W.D. La.).

April 18, 2022: The BLM publishes final environmental assessments and sale notices for June 2022 lease sales. The final sale notices reduces the acreage of land available for leasing on public lands by 80% and increased royalty rates. For offshore leases, the current 5-year program is scheduled to end on June 30, 2022.

Apr. 19, 2022: The plaintiffs in Western Energy Alliance v. Biden assert that the notice put forward by the Bureau of Land Management still violates the Mineral Leasing Act because BLM did not establish a reliable and predictable leasing system in the future. A hearing in that case is scheduled for May 13. Western Energy Alliance v. Biden, No. 0:21-cv-00013 (D. Wyo.).

Apr. 29, 2022 Republican states attorneys general ask the Western District of Louisiana to grant summary judgment in the case challenging leasing pause. The states also challenge the cancellation of lease sales, including the cancellation of Lease Sale 257. Louisiana v. Biden, Docket No. 2:21-cv-00778 (W.D. La). 

May 10, 2022 The Fifth Circuit hears oral arguments on the preliminary injunction that halted the Biden administration’s leasing pause. Louisiana v. Biden, Docket No. 21-30505 (5th Cir.).

May 12, 2022 BOEM cancels upcoming offshore Lease Sales 258, 259, and 261, citing “lack of industry interest”  and “conflicting court rulings” as reasons for the cancellations. 

May 19, 2022 During a hearing in front of the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee, Secretary Haaland says the DOI will propose a new 5-year offshore leasing plan by June 30, 2022, when the current 5-year plan is set to expire.

May 19, 2022 The states in Louisiana v. Biden write a letter to the Fifth Circuit to inform the court about the three cancelled lease sales. Louisiana v. Biden, No. 21-30505 (5th Cir.).

May 24, 2022 BOEM writes a letter to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals explaining its decision not to hold the upcoming lease sales. Louisiana v. Biden, No. 21-30505 (5th Cir.).

June 6, 2022 – Louisiana appeals to the D.C. Circuit, asking the court to reverse the lower court’s order that canceled Lease Sale 257. Friends of the Earth v. Haaland, Docket No. 22-05037 (D.C. Cir.). Fourteen states and several oil companies file amicus briefs supporting Louisiana.

June 28, 2022 Several environmental groups file a lawsuit in the District Court for the District of Columbia, alleging that BLM violated NEPA by failing to issue a cumulative environmental impact statement. The groups also claim that the decision to hold lease sales violates the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, which requires BLM to “take any action necessary to prevent unnecessary or undue degradation of the lands.” Dakota Resource Council et. al v. Department of the Interior et al., Docket No. 1:22-cv-01853 (D.D.C.).

June 29, 2022 For the first time during the Biden administration, BLM holds lease sales for oil and gas drilling on federal lands, citing the preliminary injunction that stopped the Biden administration’s pause on lease sales. The auctions cover 173 parcels in Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Utah. 

July 1, 2022 BOEM publishes the 2023-2028 Proposed Program for the National Outer Continental Shelf Drilling and Leasing Program and its draft environmental impact statements. The plan proposes up to eleven potential lease sales over the next five years, with ten potential sales in the Gulf of Mexico and one potential sale in Cook Inlet in Alaska. BOEM will accept public comments on the proposal until October 6, 2022. 

Aug. 16, 2022 President Biden signs the Inflation Reduction Act into law. The Act raises minimum royalty rates and adds new fees for lease auctions, reinstates lease sales 257, 258,259, and 261, and requires minimum acres to be offered for oil and gas development before DOI can issue rights-of-way for solar or leases for wind development. Read more about these requirements in our recent blog post.

Aug. 17, 2022  The 5th Circuit vacates the preliminary injunction that blocked the Biden administration’s pause on new oil and gas leases and remands the case for additional proceedings. The court held that the injunction was too vague, finding it unclear whether the injunction blocked an unwritten federal policy, a written agency policy, or President Biden’s 2021 executive order. Louisiana v. Biden, No. 21-30505 (5th Cir.). 

Aug.18, 2022 The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana issues a permanent injunction that blocks President Biden’s pause on new oil and gas leases, holding that the executive order exceeded the president’s authority. The permanent injunction applies only to the thirteen plaintiff states: Louisiana, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia. Louisiana v. Biden, No. 2:21-CV-00778 (W.D. La.). 

Aug. 30, 2022 The D.C. Circuit holds that the DOI’s environmental impact statement for Lease Sales 250 and 251, both of which were held in 2018, “unreasonably refused to consider possible deficiencies in environmental enforcement.” The court remanded the sales to the agencies, but did not vacate them. Gulf Restoration Network v. Haaland, No. 20-05179 (D.C. Cir).

Sep. 2, 2022 The U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming upholds lease sale postponements that DOI made in 2021 during the leasing pause. The court found that first-quarter 2021 lease sale postponements did not violate the MLA, the FLPMA, NEPA, and were not arbitrary and capricious or an abuse of discretion. Further, the court found that the challengers lacked standing to challenge the second-quarter 2021 lease sale postponements. Western Energy Alliance v. Biden, No. 2:21-cv-00013 (D. Wyo.).

Sept. 14, 2022 BOEM accepts bids for Lease Sale 257 to comply with the IRA.

Sep. 16, 2022 Intervening defendants American Petroleum Institute and Louisiana file a motion in the D.C. Circuit asking the court for leave to file a motion to dismiss the case as moot because the Inflation Reduction Act’s required DOI to issue the leases for Sale 257. The Department of Interior consents to this motion. Plaintiff environmental groups oppose the motion, arguing that the District Court should hear the mootness arguments and that if the D.C. Circuit hears the issue of mootness, it should do so within the context of the merits arguments. Friends of the Earth v. Haaland, No. 22-05037 (D.C. Cir.).

Sep. 23, 2022 BOEM issues a Notice of Availability for Lease Sale 258 in Cook Inlet, Alaska. The IRA requires BOEM to hold this sale by the end of 2022.

Oct. 6, 2022 BOEM publishes a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Lease Sale 259 and 261 in the Gulf of Mexico with the public comment period open through November 14. The IRA requires BOEM to hold Lease Sale 259 by the end of March 2023 and Lease Sale 261 by September 2023. 

Oct. 6, 2022 BLM announces it will hold onshore oil and gas lease sales in Wyoming and New Mexico in accordance with the IRA. The Bureau is seeking public comment through November 7 on both prospective lease sales. The New Mexico lease sale is set for May 2023 and the Wyoming lease sale is set for an undetermined date in Spring 2023.

Oct. 20, 2022 BOEM announces the availability of a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) analyzing the potential environmental impacts of Lease Sale 258 in Cook Inlet, Alaska. The IRA requires BOEM to hold this sale by the end of 2022.

Oct. 24, 2022 BOEM publishes a Proposed Notice of Sale (NOS) for Lease Sale 259 in the Gulf of Mexico to comply with the IRA. Bid opening is currently scheduled for March 29, 2023.

Nov. 3, 2022 The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana grants a motion to dismiss a NEPA claim and a jurisdictional claim from American Petroleum Institute and other trade groups challenging the Biden administration’s pause on oil and gas lease sales. Other causes of action from the complaint, including claims that the Mineral Leasing Act prohibits the pause, will be allowed to continue. American Petroleum Institute v. U.S. Dept of Interior , Docket No. 2:21-cv-02506 (W.D. La.).

Nov. 4, 2022 A group of tribal advocates and environmental organizations intervene and appeal a Sep.2022 D.C. Circuit ruling that reinstated a 6,000 acre oil and gas lease on land in Montana that is sacred to the Blackfeet Tribe. This case has been ongoing since 2013, when leaseholder, Solenex, claimed that BLM was delaying its ability to claim rights granted by the lease. Solenex v. Haaland, Docket No. 22-05291 (D.C. Cir.).

Nov. 21, 2022 BLM issues updated guidance on implementing the IRA’s changes to the onshore oil and gas leasing program.