FOR RELEASE:  March 22, 1994            CONTACT:  John Barclay
                                                  (202) 208-3983

            MMS RELEASES FEDERAL OFFSHORE STATISTICS (#40020)

     The Interior Department's Minerals Management Service (MMS)
today announced that its report on Federal Offshore Statistics,
1992, has been published and is available from the agency.

     Federal OCS leases have produced 9.3 billion barrels of oil
and 98.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas since 1954.  In 1992,
OCS production was 12.9 percent of all U.S. oil production.  On a
state-by-state basis, the Federal OCS ranks fifth behind Texas,
Alaska, Louisiana and California.  In 1992, OCS natural gas
production was 26.3 percent of the U.S. total, ranking those lands
third behind Texas and Louisiana.

     The report provides details on MMS's offshore activities that
year, including:
     --Activities on Federal offshore lands;
     --Leasing activity and status;
     --Development activity;
     --Production of Crude Oil and Natural Gas;
     --Oil and natural gas sales volume and royalties;
     --Revenue from Federal offshore leases;
     --Disbursement of Federal offshore revenue;
     --Oil and natural gas reserves and resource estimates;
     --Oil pollution in U.S. and international waters; and
     --International activities and marine minerals.

     In addition to managing the Federal OCS energy and minerals
programs, MMS also collects and distributes revenues from Federal
offshore and onshore leases and Indian leases.  Copies of the
report are available from MMS, 381 Elden St., MS 4810, Herndon, VA 
22070-4817.
                              -MMS-

Subject: PR-03/22/94 OCS Stats/MMS Releases Federal Offshore
Statistics (#40020)