U.S. Interior Commends Congressional Action to Boost Offshore Energy Development

U.S. President Donald Trump on March 15 signed a joint resolution disapproving the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) rule named “Protection of Marine Archaeological Resources.”, in order to boost offshore energy development initiatives.  This joint resolution nullifies the final rule issued by the BOEM and published under the previous administration in September 2024. The rule required new oil and gas leaseholders on the Outer Continental Shelf to submit archaeological reports for unsurveyed areas that involve activities disturbing the seafloor. This imposed compliance costs on energy producers.

On Jan.31, 2025, President Trump issued the executive order titled “Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation,” which further guides the department to take on actions to reduce burdensome regulations in the energy sector. The department has thus far enhanced accessibility to offshore drilling and lessened regulatory difficulties that negatively impact energy production. Regular and predictable offshore lease sales would allow the U.S. to maintain robust energy production. Moreover, offshore energy development is expected to be a critical component of U.S. national security and U.S. economic prosperity.

Following President Trump’s declaration of a national energy emergency in January 2025, the administration has actively sought to reverse the previous Biden administration’s withdrawal of certain Outer Continental Shelf areas from oil and gas leasing. The department supervises around 3.2 billion acres of the Outer Continental Shelf. Moreover, offshore drilling operations controlled by the department produced over 667 million barrels of oil during the 2024 fiscal year accounted for around 14 percent of total domestic oil production.