Friday, November 7, 2025 -The Trump administration has announced the upcoming auction of oil and gas drilling leases off the U.S. Gulf of Mexico next month. Additionally, the administration has proposed another lease sale in Alaska’s Cook Inlet.
The U.S. Gulf of Mexico lease sale, which President Donald Trump refers to as the Gulf of America, will open approximately 80 million acres for leasing. The sale, scheduled for December 10, will be the inaugural of 30 sales in the region scheduled through 2040. This proposal is part of Trump’s tax law, which he signed in July.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), an office of the Interior Department, has also proposed leasing approximately 1 million acres in Cook Inlet. The sale, scheduled for March 4 of next year, will be the first of at least six Cook Inlet lease sales mandated by the law. These sales are scheduled annually from 2026 to 2028 and from 2030 to 2032.
These sales align with Trump’s policy of maximizing oil, gas, and coal production while reducing regulations on fossil fuels and subsidies for green energy. “BOEM is now proceeding with a predictable, congressionally mandated leasing schedule that will support offshore oil and gas development for the foreseeable future,” Matt Giacona, acting director of the office, stated in a recent announcement.
BOEM has established a royalty rate of 12.5%, the lowest permitted, for both shallow and deepwater leases in both locations to encourage robust industry participation.
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