As a result of the order issued by the United States court of appeals for the fifth circuit, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has scheduled Lease Sale 261.
Pursuant to direction from the Court, BOEM will include lease blocks that were previously excluded due to concerns regarding potential impacts to the Rice’s whale population in the Gulf of Mexico. BOEM will also remove portions of a related stipulation meant to address those potential impacts from the lease terms for any leases that may result from Lease Sale 261.