LMOGA Urges Department of Interior to Support Gulf of Mexico Leasing in 5-Year Plan

The Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association (LMOGA) submitted comments this week to the Department of Interior in response to the 2023-2028 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed Program. LMOGA comments to the Department of the Interior on the proposed 5-year offshore leasing program emphasizes the need for a plan that includes all 10 of the proposed lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico as well as the proposed sale for the Cook Inlet in Alaska.

“Leaving open the option to hold zero future lease sales puts U.S. energy security at risk and compromises U.S. producers’ ability to provide affordable, reliable energy to the American people,” said Tommy Faucheux, LMOGA President. “Independent analysis shows that oil and natural gas are going to play an important role in fulfilling U.S. energy needs for the foreseeable future. The question is whether the oil and gas will come from here in the U.S., where it is produced under some of the strictest environmental standards in the world, or if the U.S. will cede our position as global energy leaders and instead become reliant on foreign sources to supply our energy needs.”

In Louisiana, revenue generated from the offshore oil and natural gas industry provides a lifeline to important environmental priorities and coastal protection and restoration programs, as well as critical funding for coastal communities that depend on energy revenues to fund vital services like education, health care, police and fire protection, and highways and infrastructure.

“LMOGA members are proud to produce the energy that supplies both national and global demand, creates meaningful and high-paying jobs in our local communities, and supports state, local, and community programs that benefit diverse local populations throughout our working coast,” said Faucheux. “As geopolitical tensions rise and energy costs increase, it is more important than ever that the U.S. supports American-made energy produced here at home in Louisiana, with the right policies in place to create operational certainty and spur continued investment and innovation.”