U.S. Begins Work on Next Offshore Oil Leasing Plan—And It’s a Big One

The Biden offshore era is officially in the rearview mirror. On Friday, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum kicked off the long march toward America’s 11th National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program—a sprawling, bureaucratic saga that ultimately decides where and when offshore drilling can happen. The process begins with a simple Request for Information (RFI) from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), opening a 45-day public comment window. Expect everyone from oil majors to angry seagull lobbyists to weigh…