Proposed Five-Year Offshore Leasing Program 'A Historic Step' For American Energy Leadership

The American Petroleum Institute (API) issued the following statement from President and CEO Mike Sommers after the Department of the Interior proposed a new five-year offshore leasing program that fully leverages the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, including some of the most promising acreage offered in generations, as a secure source of affordable, reliable energy.

“After years of delay in federal leasing, this is a historic step toward unleashing our nation’s vast offshore resources. We applaud Secretary Burgum for laying the groundwork for a new and more expansive five-year program that unlocks opportunities for long-term investment offshore and supports energy affordability at a time of rising demand at home and abroad.”

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in April to begin the process of developing a new schedule for offshore oil and gas lease sales. BOEM plans to hold a new lease sale in the Gulf of America in December of this year, the first offshore lease sale since 2023. The proposed new program – part of API’s policy roadmap – follows the previous administration’s disregard for the offshore development process, including the release of the weakest offshore program in history.

For more than a decade, API has developed and strengthened rigorous offshore standards — including those advanced through our Center for Offshore Safety — to ensure that every stage of development is grounded in prevention, preparedness, and continuous improvement. These standards guide well design, blowout prevention, worker training, subsea technology, and spill response, and they are built into the permitting and environmental review processes long before any project proceeds.

API’s support for the five-year offshore leasing program goes hand-in-hand with the industry’s longstanding commitment to world-class offshore safety. A predictable leasing program allows companies to plan and invest in these best-in-class systems, ensuring that offshore development moves forward with the highest levels of safety, environmental stewardship, and community engagement.

America’s offshore oil and natural gas resources are not only vast, but also among the lowest carbon intensity barrels produced anywhere in the world.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. offshore production accounts for 14% of total U.S. crude oil production, or nearly 2 million barrels of oil per day. Robust offshore oil and natural gas development could generate over $8B in additional government revenue by 2040.

About The American Petroleum Institute (API)
The American Petroleum Institute (API) represents all segments of America’s oil and natural gas industry, supporting nearly 11 million U.S. jobs. With approximately 600 members, API companies produce, process, and distribute the majority of the nation’s energy. Founded in 1919, API has developed over 800 standards to enhance operational and environmental safety, efficiency, and sustainability.