FOR RELEASE:  September 18, 1995            CONTACT:  Tom DeRocco
                                                   (202) 208-3985
                                                   Barney Congdon
                                                   (504) 736-2595


               AREAS IDENTIFIED FOR 1997 LEASE SALES
             IN THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO


     The Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service
has identified the areas to be analyzed in an environmental
impact statement (EIS) for proposed Sale 166 in the Central Gulf
of Mexico and Sale 168 in the Western Gulf of Mexico.  Both sales
are scheduled to occur in 1997.

     Sale 166 is the last Gulf of Mexico sale in the current
(1992-1997) 5-Year Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Program.  Sale
168 is the first proposed Gulf of Mexico sale identified in the
Draft Proposed Program for the next (1997-2002) 5-Year Program.


ACTION

     The area to be studied in the EIS includes approximately 60
million acres of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore
Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama in the Central and
Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Areas.  Determination of the area
to be studied came after consideration of information related to
industry interest, resource potential, and possible environmental
effects.

     Unavailable for leasing consideration are two blocks in the 
Flower Garden National Marine Sanctuary, located in the Western
Gulf Planning Area, Blocks A-375 and A-398 in High Island Area,
East Addition, South Extension--East and West Flower Garden
Banks, respectively.  Also excluded from leasing consideration
are the three shallow water blocks used by the U.S. Department of
Navy in mine warfare training exercises.  These blocks in the
Western Gulf offshore Corpus Christi in the Mustang Island
Area--Blocks 793, 799, 816--were excluded from the Call for
Nominations, issued in June 1995.

     Blocks included in the area identified for analysis range
from 3 to 220 miles from shore, with water depths ranging from 4
to over 3,200 meters.

     The Area Identification decision also identified
stipulations to be included in the proposed actions.  These lease
stipulations would provide for:

     - Protection of live bottom areas (Central Gulf only);
     - Protection of topographic features; and,
     - Reduction of possible use conflicts with military          
       operations.


FUTURE ACTIONS REGARDING THE PROPOSED LEASE SALES

     After a draft EIS is published in March 1996, public
comments will be solicited.

     Proposed Notices of Sale for each sale will be made
available  concurrently with the draft EIS, and comments on the
size, timing, and location of the proposals will be requested
from the governors of the affected States.  The proposed Notices
will identify the blocks proposed to be included in the sales, as
well as proposed lease stipulations and other proposed terms and
conditions of the sales.

     After consideration of comments on the draft EIS and
proposed Notices, a final EIS and consistency determinations (as
to whether the proposed sales are consistent with the enforceable
policies of Federally approved coastal zone management plans of
affected States) will be prepared prior to any final decisions on
the sales.

     Sale 166, tentatively scheduled to be held in March 1997,
will be the 54th OCS lease sale in the Central Gulf of Mexico. 
Sale 168, tentatively scheduled for August 1997, will be the 37th
lease sale in the Western Gulf.

     MMS is the federal agency that manages the nation's natural
gas, oil and other mineral resources on the OCS, and collects,
verifies and disburses about $4 billion yearly in revenues from
offshore federal mineral leases and from onshore mineral leases
on federal and Indian lands.

                                   -MMS-