Backroom Deals: The Hidden World of Noncompetitive Oil and Gas Leasing

Kate Kelly, Jenny Rowland-Shea, and Nicole Gentile argue that the U.S. noncompetitive leasing program is outdated and wasteful and that Congress should put an end to it.

Media Contact

Sam Hananel

Senior Director, Media Relations

[email protected]

Government Affairs

Doug Molof

Director, Government Affairs

[email protected]

Last year, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) held a massive oil and gas lease sale, putting more than 300,000 acres of public lands in Nevada up for auction. The sale was largely in response to a request to lease the land from an anonymous individual, a routine way onshore oil and gas leasing is kicked off for the federal government.

On the day of the lease sale, however, that anonymous individual did not show up to bid—nor did anyone else, for that matter. The BLM did not sell an acre of land, not even for the minimum bid of $2.

The above excerpt was originally published in Center for American Progress. Click here to view the full article.

The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. A full list of supporters is available here. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.