The MMS Gulf of Mexico Regional Office conducts all leasing and resource management functions on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) for the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region and Atlantic OCS area. The OCS consists of submerged Federal lands off our coasts. The OCS has the potential to supply a significant portion of this Nation's future energy and non-energy mineral needs. MMS leases these Federal offshore areas for exploration and production and closely monitors OCS operations to protect our coastal environments and ensure proper royalty collection. As well as meeting major energy needs, MMS provides about $6 billion in annual revenue benefits to the Nation.