Biden Administration Auctions 73Mln Acres of Oil Drilling Area in US Gulf Coast of Mexico

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Biden administration began an auction of more than 73 million acres of waters in the US Gulf of Mexico for offshore oil and gas drilling that might see new crude output after previous auctions that ended in legal challenges, an official statement along with news reports said on Wednesday.

“BOEM will hold Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale 259 on Wednesday March 29, 2023. The opening and reading of the bids will begin at 9 a.m. CT (10 a.m. ET),” said the statement from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

The lease comes a few weeks after the administration, which favors green and renewable energies such as wind and solar over fossil fuels like crude, allowed the controversial Willow oil project in Alaska to go forward.

Of the 73 million acres on offer in the Gulf of Mexico, bids had emerged for 1.6 million acres, according to federal data available as of Tuesday night, US TV Channel reported.

It said green groups, which took issue with the size and scope of the drilling area on offer, have filed a lawsuit to try and stop the lease sale, saying the environmental analysis attached to it is flawed.