Office of Coastal Management

MINERAL BOARD EXTENDS LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN DRILLING BAN UNTIL 2000 CURRENT LEASE SALES MADE AVAILABLE

Thursday, August 13, 1998

MINERAL BOARD EXTENDS LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN DRILLING BAN UNTIL 2000

CURRENT LEASE SALES MADE AVAILABLE

The State Mineral Board approved yesterday a recommendation of its Environmental Concerns committee to continue the moratorium on mineral leasing in Lake Pontchartrain for an additional two years through August 2000. According to Mineral Board member William Allerton, who chairs the committee, an ongoing study by the Louisiana Geological Survey should continue so that a clearer picture of past practices, environmental impacts and other assessments can be concluded. He said that consideration for future drilling in Lake Pontchartrain would depend on number of factors including revenue potential for the state, environmental concerns, and the desire and opinions of the community.

Also in the meeting the Board held its monthly lease sale and announced preliminary results of the sale along with the 1998-99 fiscal year totals.



CLASSIFICATION		 NOMINATEDTRACTS NOMINATEDACREAGE LEASESAWARDED NO. OFACRES AMOUNT OF
CASH PAYMENTS
Lease Sale August 12, 1998
State Offshore Leases 73 110,423.500 8 3,494.400 $1,631,399.54
State Onshore Leases 57 32,362.620 19 4,742.280 1,502,492.39
State Dedicated Leases 40 54,758.810 3 1,114.710 560,576.77
State Agency Leases 5 620.430 2 32.190 8,047.50
TOTAL SALE 175 198,165.360 32 9,383.580 $3,702,516.20
           
 
1998-99 Fiscal Year
State Offshore Leases 100 160,403.540 21 10,303.854 $5,122,071.60
State Onshore Leases 87 43,547.221 40 7,578.951 2,236,131.90
State Dedicated Leases 40 54,758.810 3 1,114.710 560,576.77
State Agency Leases 16 4,306.429 6 295.099 51,277.97
TOTAL YEAR TO DATE 243 263,016.000 70 19,292.614 $7,970,058.24

Editors: For more information, please contact DNR Assistant Secretary Office of Mineral Resources Gus Rodemacher at (504) 342-4607.

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