FOR RELEASE:  October 27, 1995                        CONTACT:  Tom DeRocco
                                                             (202) 208-3985
                                                         Michael L. Baugher
                                                             (303) 231-3162
           37 STATES RECEIVE $348 MILLION IN FIRST NINE MONTHS 
               OF 1995 AS SHARE OF FEDERAL MINERAL REVENUES

     The U.S. Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service (MMS)
today announced that it had distributed more than $348 million to 37 states
during the first nine months of 1995.  The money represents the states'
cumulative share of revenues collected for mineral production on Federal lands
located within their borders and from Federal offshore oil and natural gas
tracts adjacent to their shores.  

     The MMS is responsible for collecting, accounting for, auditing and
disbursing revenues associated with mineral leases of Federal and Indian
lands.  Disbursements are made to states on a monthly basis, as bonuses,
rents, royalties and other revenues are collected.

     A state is entitled to a share of the mineral revenues collected from
Federal lands located within that state's boundaries.  For the majority of
Federal lands, states and the Federal government share the revenues:  50
percent to the state, 40 percent to the Reclamation Fund for water projects,
and 10 percent to the U.S. Treasury.  One exception, Alaska, gets a 90 percent
share, as prescribed by the Alaska Statehood Act.

     Certain coastal states with Federal offshore tracts adjacent to their
seaward boundaries receive 27 percent of those mineral royalties as well. 
Remaining offshore revenues are deposited in special accounts of the U.S.
Treasure, including the General Fund, the Land and Water Conservation Fund,
and the Historic Preservation Fund.

Alabama. . . . . .$5,321,934.34    Nevada . . . . . .$4,433,845.24
Alaska . . . . . .$3,427,887.46    New Mexico . . . $84,170,565.34
Arizona. . . . . . . $46,349.06    North Carolina . . . . .$594.03
Arkansas . . . . . . 601,791.87    North Dakota . . .$1,742,581.20
California . . . $22,699,834.85    Ohio . . . . . . . .$157,364.70
Colorado . . . . $24,115,113.23    Oklahoma . . . . .$1,314,274.90
Florida. . . . . . . $81,550.23    Oregon . . . . . . . $21,559.23
Idaho. . . . . . .$1,556,004.45    Pennsylvania . . . . $18,272.26
Illinois . . . . . . $61,000.26    South Carolina .  . . $1,870.55
Kansas . . . . . . .$669,265.81    South Dakota . . . .$707,428.41
Kentucky . . . . . . $62,446.67    Tennessee. . . . . . . . $63.38
Louisiana. . . . .$7,728,799.87    Texas. . . . . . .$5,929,082.44
Michigan . . . . . .$502,428.95    Utah . . . . . . $21,162,507.18
Minnesota. . . . . . $16,757.91    Virginia . . . . . . $69,694.69
Mississippi. . . . .$599,503.61    Washington . . . . .$257,157.46
Missouri . . . . . .$790,115.61    West Virginia. . . .$148,964.41
Montana. . . . . $17,958,144.44    Wisconsin. . . . . . . .$774.36
Nebraska . . . . . . $10,060.39    Wyoming. . . . . 141,750,280.29

Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$348,135,967.78

                                   -MMS-