BLM Offers 35,000 Acres in California for Oil and Gas Leasing
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced plans to offer approximately 35,000 acres in California for oil and gas leasing on December 1. This move follows a BLM decision in June that allowed federal oil and gas leasing to resume in its Bakersfield and Central Coast planning areas after years of litigation and environmental review.
The sale includes 43 parcels across Kern, Kings, Fresno, and San Luis Obispo counties, with most federal drilling already happening in established Kern County fields. The region supports around 3,500 jobs and generates over $200 million annually, with federal oil and gas royalties from the area totaling roughly $65 million to $90 million per year.
California has become increasingly reliant on imported crude, with refineries receiving 119.9 million barrels of foreign crude in the first six months of this year, accounting for around 56% of total refinery crude supply. Domestic California production supplied only about 25%, with Alaska supplying most of the rest.