The US Department of the Interior (DoI) has reported receipts exceeding $4bn from an oil and gas lease sale held by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in New Mexico and Texas.
The quarterly lease sale involved 74 parcels covering a total area of 33,530 acres. The proceeds include bonus bids and rental payments.
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Revenue generated from these sales is shared between the federal government and the individual states where the parcels are located.
The sale was conducted under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. It reduced the federal royalty rate on new onshore oil and gas production from 16.67% to 12.5%, reversing an increase established by the Inflation Reduction Act.
The DoI said that the lower royalty rate is designed to lower operating costs for energy producers and may attract further investment and activity on public land.
US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said: “America is sitting on some of the richest energy resources in the world, and President Donald J Trump is committed to putting those resources to work for the American people.
“This over $4bn lease sale is another sign that President Trump’s American Energy Dominance Agenda is delivering results. By cutting costs and removing barriers to development, we are unleashing American energy, strengthening national security, creating jobs and generating significant revenue for taxpayers and local communities.”
The DoI and the BLM are continuing lease activity in line with Executive Order 14154, ‘Unleashing American Energy’.
The agencies have stated that energy development projects must comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and other relevant legislation.
Leasing is considered an initial step towards developing oil and gas resources on federal land. Oil and gas leases are valid for up to ten years and remain in effect if production continues at paying levels.
Last week, the BLM announced plans for an upcoming oil and gas lease sale on 14 July 2026. The sale will offer 66 parcels covering a total of 29,087 acres in Montana and North Dakota.
The BLM completed the scoping process for these parcels in February 2026 and conducted a public comment period on the parcels and the related environmental analysis, which closed on 8 May 2026.
A further 30-day public protest period is scheduled to open on 1 June and close on 1 July 2026, allowing for additional public input before the sale proceeds.
Next month, the BLM is expected to hold an oil and gas lease sale in the Coastal Plain of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
