The United States netted more than $82.68 million through the third Gulf of America offshore oil and gas lease sale mandated by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to the Department of the Interior (DOI).
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by President Donald Trump last year, required the secretary of the interior to hold at least 30 oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of America region by 2040.
The recently concluded Big Beautiful Gulf (BGG) 3 auction resulted in 59 blocks leased in federal waters of the Gulf of America, the DOI said in an Aug. 12 statement.
The sale, held in New Orleans, saw the Marine Minerals Administration offering leases covering approximately 80.4 million acres across the Gulf areas. The royalty rates were capped at 12.5 percent, the minimum allowed under the One Big Beautiful Bill. In total, 16 companies submitted 69 bids.
The Gulf of America Outer Continental Shelf, spanning roughly 160 million acres, is estimated to contain 26.9 billion barrels of undiscovered oil that is technically recoverable. It also contains an estimated 45.59 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. DOI highlighted that offshore development supports local communities along the Gulf Coast.
“As America marks 250 years of independence, this lease sale reminds us that energy has always been tied to American freedom, strength and prosperity,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in the statement.
“Lease Sale BBG3 advances President Trump’s American Energy Dominance agenda by strengthening energy security, supporting good-paying jobs and helping ensure families have access to reliable, affordable energy.”
According to the DOI, the lease sale supports a Jan. 20, 2025, executive order signed by Trump—Unleashing American Energy.
In the order, Trump said that even though the United States was blessed with an abundance of natural and energy resources, the development of these assets has been impeded over the past years due to “burdensome and ideologically motivated” regulations.
Trump declared it was the policy of the United States to encourage energy exploration and production across federal lands and waters to meet the demand of American citizens.
Oil in the Gulf
The first sale under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was held in December 2025, generating more than $300 million in bids for 181 blocks, according to a Dec. 12 statement from the DOI.
The second sale was conducted in March, which generated more than $46 million, the DOI said in a March 11 statement.
A March 11 statement from environmental group Sierra Club criticized the sale of public waters in the Gulf of America to the oil and gas industry.
Athan Manuel, director of Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program, said such lease sales will negatively impact coastal ecosystems, wildlife, and communities.
“Offshore drilling is one of the riskiest, dirtiest, and most hazardous kinds of oil extraction, incompatible with coastal economies or ecosystems,” Manuel said.
“Not only has this administration mandated nearly 30 lease sales to expand offshore drilling across thousands of miles of America’s coastline, it just changed the rules to let Big Oil CEOs off the hook for the environmental messes they leave behind—and leave taxpayers holding the bag.”
When the third lease sale was announced by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in a Feb. 19 statement, the agency clarified that certain areas would be excluded from sale, including blocks within the boundaries of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
The sanctuary is one of the 18 national marine sanctuaries protected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. It is also the only sanctuary site located in the Gulf of America.
In its recent statement, the DOI said that revenues from the Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas activities are distributed to the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Historic Preservation Fund. These revenues also support coastal restoration and public services that benefit communities.
