DOI removes Virginia lease sale from proposed 2017-22 OCS plan

Oil & Gas Journal: The US Department of the Interior announced its proposed 2017-21 US Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas program, which deleted a planned 2021 lease sale offshore Virginia. Officials said this was largely in response to US military and public concerns that were much stronger this time than 5 years earlier.

“There was tremendous interest in the Atlantic,” Interior Sec. Sally Jewell told reporters during a Mar. 15 teleconference. “Generally, it was expressions of concern. We weren’t just waiting for [the US Department of Defense] to weigh in. We held multiple public meetings over a year.”

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