The NewsRoom
Release #:  3118
Date: August 12, 2004

MMS Watching Hurricane as Lease Sale Approaches

The MMS is actively monitoring the development of Hurricane Charley, which is forecast to enter the Gulf of Mexico in 24 hours. At this point, MMS has made no decision to change anything regarding the upcoming Western Gulf of Mexico Sale 192. It is still scheduled for Wednesday, August 18, and bids are expected to be filed by the bid receipt deadline of Tuesday, August 17 at 10:00 a.m. The predicted path of the hurricane is currently far away from the New Orleans Area. MMS will follow events as they develop and will make any decisions, if warranted, to delay the sale or change the time of bid receipt at a later point.

The Minerals Management Service is the federal agency in the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages the nation’s oil, natural gas, and other mineral resources on the Outer Continental Shelf in Federal offshore waters. The agency also collects, accounts for, and disburses mineral revenues from Federal and American Indian lands. MMS disbursed more than $8 billion in FY 2003 and more than $135 billion since the agency was created in 1982. Nearly $1 billion from those revenues go into the Land and Water Conservation Fund annually for the acquisition and development of state and Federal park and recreation lands.                               

Relevant Web Sites

MMS Main Website

Gulf of Mexico Website

Media Contacts

Debra Winbush
(504) 736-2597 

Caryl Fagot
(504) 736-2590

MMS: Securing Ocean Energy & Economic Value for America
U.S. Department of the Interior