U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke recently announced a leasing plan for 2019-2024 that would put more than 90% of the total Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) acreage and over 98% of “undiscovered, technically recoverable” oil/gas resources in federal offshore areas in play for future exploration and development. The plan proposes 47 lease sales, versus the 11 made under the Obama Administration, when 94% of our OCS was off limits to oil/gas leasing and exploration. The benefits of the new offshore energy plan for the U.S. are huge and multi-faceted.
