four lots in total covering a little more than 159 acres in the top oil-producing state. Only two of the lots that stretched just under 80 acres received bids for a total of $27,600, sparking concerns over a bust.to hold more frequent lease sales to shore up national energy security, some in the industry now say many lots offered are not even worth bidding on.“Forty acres doesn’t make a difference to exploration when you’re trying to put together 20,000 or 50,000 acres,” Degenfelder said.
“Instead, in this sale and most sales under the Biden Administration, they offer a patchwork of non-contiguous acres that make horizontal drilling nearly impossible,” Obermueller said. Leasing regulations have been a point of contention throughout the Biden administration as President Joe Biden issued a pause on new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters at the start of his presidency. However, a federal judgeIn order to hold a lease sale, BLM first accepts nominations for plots of land to be auctioned. These nominations can be from any member of the public as well as the agency itself.