U.S. Department of the Interior
Minerals Management Service
Office of Communications

SPECIAL INFORMATION

OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF OIL AND GAS LEASING PROGRAM FOR 1997-2002
SCHEDULE OF PRE-LEASE STEPS
(as of October 28, 1996)

REGION MAJOR STEPS IN THE OCS OIL AND GAS LEASING PROCESS
Planning Area/Sale CALL * AREA ID DEIS HEARINGS CD/PNS FEIS or EA NOS SALE
GULF OF MEXICO  
Western GOM

Sale 168

 Mid-1995 Late-1995 Early-1996 Mid-1996 Late-1996 Early-1997 Mid-1997 Late-1997
Central GOM

Sale 169

 Mid-1996 Late-1996 Mid-1997 Mid-1997 Late-1997 Late-1997 Early-1998 Early-1998
Western GOM Sale 171 Early-1997 Mid-1997 Late-1997 Late-1997 Early-1998 Early-1998 Late-1998 Late-1998
Central GOM

Sale 172

 Mid-1996 Late-1996 Mid-1997 Mid-1997 Late-1998 Early-1999 Early-1999 Early-1999
Western GOM

Sale 174

 Early-1997 Mid-1997 Late-1997 Late-1997 Early-1999 Early-1999 Mid-1999 Late-1999
Central GOM

Sale 175

 Mid-1996 Late-1996 Mid-1997 Mid-1997 Late-1999 Late-1999 Early-2000 Early-2000
Western GOM

Sale 177

 Early-1997 Mid-1997 Late-1997 Late-1997 Early-2000 Early-2000 Mid-2000 Late-2000
Central GOM

Sale 178

 Mid-1996 Late-1996 Mid-1997 Mid-1997 Late-2000 Late-2000 Early-2001 Early-2001
Western GOM

Sale 180

 Early-1997 Mid-1997 Late-1997 Late-1997 Early-2001 Early-2001 Mid-2001 Late-2001
Eastern GOM

Sale 181

 Early-1999 Mid-1999 Late-1999 Late-1999 Early-2001 Early-2001 Mid-2001 Late-2001
Central GOM

Sale 182

 Mid-1996 Late-1996 Mid-1997 Mid-1997 Late-2001 Late-2002 Early-2002 Early-2002
ALASKA**                
Beaufort Sea

Sale 170

 Late-1996 Late-1996 Mid-1997 Mid-1997 Late-1997 Late-1997 Early-1998 Early-1998
Cook Inlet/Shelikof Strt.

Sale 173

 Early-1997 Mid-1997 Late-1998 Late-1998 Mid-1999 Mid-1999 Late-1999 Late-1999
Beaufort Sea

Sale 176

 Late-1997 Early-1998 Early-1999 Mid-1999 Early-2000 Early-2000 Mid-2000 Mid-2000
Gulf of Alaska

Sale 179

 Early-1999 Mid-1999 Mid-2000 Late-2000 Mid-2001 Mid-2001 Late-2001 Late-2001
Chukchi Sea/Hope Basin

Sale 183

Early-2000 Early-2000 Early-2001 Mid-2001 Early-2002 Early-2002 Mid-2002 Mid-2002

Key to the Major Steps in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Process:

CALL Call for Information and Nominations PNS Proposed Notice of Sale
AREA ID Area Identification FEIS Final Environmental Impact Statement
DEIS Draft Environmental Impact Statement EA Environmental Assessment (Gulf of Mexico only)
CD Consistency Determination NOS Notice of Sale

*Under the Improved PRE-LEASE Decision Process for Central and Western Gulf of Mexico Sales, starting with 1998 sales, a single multi-sale Call has been issued for Central Gulf of Mexico Sales 169, 172, 175, 178, and 182. An Area ID and an EIS will also be prepared for a single "typical" sale in the Central Gulf. Subsequently, after the first sale, there will be complete NEPA and CZMA coverage for each sale, an Environmental Assessment (or Supplemental EIS) and a CD.

A similar multi-sale process will be implemented for Western Gulf of Mexico Sales 171, 174, 177, and 180 starting with the Call tentatively scheduled for early 1997.

**In the Alaska OCS Region, a key feature of the new PRE-LEASE process is the establishment of an Alaska Offshore Advisory Committee. This committee will be used at key points in the PRE-LEASE process for each proposed Alaska OCS sale to seek consensus on recommendations to MMS.

--MMS--