New OCS
Connect System:
Public Connect Goes Live!
Public Connect is the first
interactive, online system released as part of the OCS Connect
project. Public Connect gives citizens the ability to electronically
submit their comments on Offshore Minerals Management (OMM)
regulatory and planning information that is open for comment in the
Federal Register.
For more information on
this new release, visit the
MMS Newsroom.
Interested parties may
submit comments on-line.
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The Outer
Continental Shelf (OCS) is a
significant
source of oil and gas for the Nation’s energy supply. At the end of 2002,
the
U.S. offshore supplied
more than 25 percent of the country’s natural gas production and more than 30
percent of total domestic oil production.
The
offshore areas of the United States contain the majority of future oil and
gas resources. It is estimated that 60 percent of the oil and 59
percent of the gas yet to be discovered in the United States are located
on the OCS.
The
OCS Lands Act
requires the
Department of
the Interior
(DOI) to prepare a 5-year program that specifies the size, timing and
location of areas to be assessed for Federal offshore natural gas and oil
leasing. It is the role of DOI to ensure that the U.S. government
receives fair market value for acreage made available for leasing and that
any oil and gas activities conserve resources, operate safely, and take
maximum steps to protect the environment.
OCS oil and gas lease sales
are held on an area-wide basis with annual sales in the Central and
Western Gulf of Mexico with less frequent sales held in the Eastern Gulf
of Mexico and offshore Alaska.
The
program operates along all the coasts of the
United States
- with oil and gas production occurring on the
Gulf of Mexico,
Pacific and
Alaska OCS. The MMS is
also responsible for other mineral production offshore, which currently
includes using
sand and gravel for coastal restoration projects.
The Offshore Minerals Management Program operates
under the leadership of Associate Director Tom Readinger
and Deputy Associate Director Bob LaBelle.
Environmental Compliance |
Environmental Research |
Information |
International Activities |
Leasing |
OMM e-Gov | Operations |
Overview |
Partnerships |
Regulations |
Resources |
Royalty Relief | Safety and
Oil Spill Research | Sand and
Gravel |
Special Projects |
Workshops & Conferences
Alaska OCS Region |
Atlantic OCS Region |
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region |
Pacific OCS Region |
Last Updated:
08/27/2004,
09:31:47 AM
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