U.S. energy policy stories

Aug 12, 2026

Trump administration's third Gulf of Mexico oil lease sale generates $82.7 million

The latest offshore oil and gas lease auction in the Gulf of Mexico attracted $82.7 million in high bids, more than the March sale but significantly less than December's auction. The sale was the third held under the Trump administration's One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Aug 12, 20263 sources

Top claims

▪The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management excluded certain environmentally sensitive areas from the lease sale, including blocks within the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
▪Major oil companies participating in the August 12, 2026, auction included units of BP, Chevron, Shell, and Equinor.
▪The August 12, 2026, auction was the first Gulf lease sale administered by the Marine Minerals Administration, a newly created agency merging the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.

People involved

Donald Trump

Subtopics

Environmental regulation Oil market Trump administration Energy security & geopolitics

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