The Bureau of Land Management brought in $38 million last week from oil and gas lease sales on federal land in Montana and North Dakota.
The Sept. 10 lease sale included 23 parcels of land totaling 7,600 acres. The resulting revenue is split between federal coffers and those of the states where the drilling occurs.
“This sale is a clear signal that investors and communities alike believe in the future of American energy,” BLM acting Director Bill Groffy said in a statement. “By unlocking these resources, we are not only driving revenue back to Montana and North Dakota but also supporting jobs and reinforcing our nation’s ability to remain energy independent for generations to come.”
The revenue is less than a $58 million lease sale in New Mexico in July. Auctions in March in Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico and Nevada netted $39 million. Lease sales in 2018, under the first Trump administration, totaled more than $1.1 billion, according to the Interior Department.
