BLM Announces December Oil and Gas Lease Sales in Arizona and Utah: 83 Parcels Totaling Over 153,000 Acres
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), part of the Department of the Interior, announced on October 15 in Phoenix, Arizona, and Salt Lake City, Utah, that it will hold two federal oil and gas lease sales in December. The Arizona sale, scheduled for December 15, will offer 40 parcels totaling 78,708 acres. The Utah sale, scheduled for December 17, 2026, will offer 43 parcels totaling 74,550 acres. Together the two sales cover 83 parcels and 153,258 acres.
The BLM said scoping for the Arizona parcels was completed in June and a public comment period on the parcels and the related environmental analysis closed in September. A 30-day public protest period opens October 16 and closes November 15. For Utah, scoping was completed in July 2026 and the comment period also closed in September 2026; its 30-day protest period opened on the day of the announcement and closes November 16, 2026.
The agency said leasing is only the first step in developing federal oil and gas resources. Before any development can begin, an operator must submit an application for a permit to drill setting out its plans. The BLM reviews those applications, posts them for public review, conducts an environmental analysis, and coordinates with state partners and stakeholders. Parcels in the sales carry stipulations intended to protect important natural resources. Both sales will be held online, with parcel information and protest instructions available through the BLM's National Fluid Lease Sale System.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：犹他州公共土地上的一台抽油机，透过天然岩石拱门拍摄。来源：美国土地管理局官方发布照片 / Photo: A pump jack on public lands in Utah, viewed through a natural rock opening. Source: U.S. Bureau of Land Management, official release
