Bureau of Land Management postpones lease sales for drilling

Bureau of Land Management postpones lease sales for drilling

Friday, February 19, 2016 by Katie Woods

TIME reports that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has postponed several auctions that would have allowed more land to be drilled for oil and gas.

While the U.S. oil and gas industry may suspect that politics have factored into the BLM’s decisions to postpone these lease sales, the BLM states that the postponed sales are just routine. The source says that each BLM region must hold a lease sale each quarter.

Environmental activists, who oppose oil and gas drilling because of greenhouse gas emissions, are happy that the sales have been postponed.

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Shale FAQ

What are mineral rights?

Mineral rights are the rights of the owner of the property to mine or produce any resources below the surface of the property. Mineral rights are different from surface rights.

Will I get free natural gas if I allow fracking on my property?

Maybe. It depends on your particular lease agreement. Some companies allow property owners a yearly free gas allowance. But, the process of connecting your property to the gas source may be more complicated. Some companies will provide a hookup, others require the landowner to provide one.

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