U.S. Interior Department Initiates Overhaul of National Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Strategy

The U.S. Interior Department on Nov. 20 issued a directive titled Unleashing American Offshore Energy to replace the Biden administration’s 2024–2029 offshore leasing program with a more expansive plan set for completion by October 2026. The action begins development of the 2026–2031 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program and reflects the administration’s effort to broaden access to offshore reserves to support domestic production and long-term energy security. As part of the directive, the department announced the release of a draft proposed program.

The draft includes as many as 34 potential lease sales across 21 of the 27 Outer Continental Shelf planning areas, covering about 1.27 billion acres. It identifies large areas off Alaska, the Pacific coast, and the Gulf of America and creates a new South-Central Gulf of America planning area to give regulators added flexibility in structuring future lease offerings. The approach aligns with Executive Order 14154 and an earlier DOI directive centered on accelerating responsible offshore development consistent with federal law.

The department highlighted that the Outer Continental Shelf remains a major source of untapped energy supply. Federal estimates show the region contains 68.8 billion barrels of undiscovered oil and 229 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas. Offshore production delivers about 15 percent of current U.S. oil output, which makes decisions on the scope and timing of future leasing critical for long-term planning. As of Sept. 1, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management oversees 2,073 active leases covering 11.2 million acres.

The draft program follows a request for information released in April 2025 that drew more than 86,000 comments from states, industry groups, and members of the public. Input from that process influenced the draft unveiled on Nov. 20. The agency noted that the proposal is the first of three steps required before final approval of the 2026–2031 program. A 60-day public comment window will open on Nov. 24 when the draft is published in the federal register. Each lease sale will then proceed through additional environmental review and further opportunities for public input.