Secretary Salazar Announced Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the Central Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale 208, held today in New Orleans, attracted $703,048,523 in high bids. The sale was conducted by Interior's Minerals Management Service (MMS) and had 70 companies submitting 476 bids on 348 tracts comprising over 1.9 million acres offshore Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The sum of all bids received totaled $ 933,649,315.

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    Secretary Salazar and U.S. Department of Interior Chief of Staff Tom Strickland attend the Minerals Management Services Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sale 208 for the Central Gulf of Mexico on March 18, 2009 at the New Orleans Superdome. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC]

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    Secretary Salazar made opening remarks and read the first bids at the Minerals Management Services Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sale 208 for the Central Gulf of Mexico on March 18, 2009 at the New Orleans Superdome. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC]

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    Secretary Salazar, Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu, and Department of Interior Chief of Staff Tom Strickland departed via helicopter for the Medusa Spar offshore oil production rig. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC]

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    Secretary Salazar and Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu tour the Medusa Spar offshore oil production rig and received a safety briefing. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC]

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    Secretary Salazar touring the Medusa Spar offshore oil production rig. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC]

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    Secretary Salazar touring the Medusa Spar offshore oil production rig. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC]

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    Department of Interior Chief of Staff Tom Strickland, Secretary Salazar and Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu receive a safety briefing aboard the Medusa Star offshore oil production rig. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC]

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    Department of Interior Chief of Staff Tom Strickland, Secretary Salazar and Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu receive a safety briefing aboard the Medusa Star offshore oil production rig. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC]

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    Secretary Salazar and Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu receive a safety briefing aboard the Medusa Star offshore oil production rig. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC]

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    Secretary Salazar and Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu receive a safety briefing aboard the Medusa Star offshore oil production rig. [Photo Credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI-NBC]

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