The Bureau of Land Management set Nov. 18, 2026, as the sale date for 30 oil and gas parcels covering 8,071 acres in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas. A 30-day public protest period on the parcels closes Oct. 19, 2026.
The parcels went through BLM scoping in June 2026, then a public comment period on the parcels and their environmental analysis that closed in August 2026. The protest period lets the public formally object to specific parcels before the sale goes forward.
Sale details
- Sale date: Nov. 18, 2026
- Parcels offered: 30
- Total acreage: 8,071 acres
- States: New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas
- Protest period closes: Oct. 19, 2026
What happens after a lease sale
Winning a lease does not itself allow drilling. An operator must first submit an application for permit to drill that details its development plans. The BLM reviews each application, posts it for public review, conducts an environmental analysis and coordinates with state partners and other stakeholders before any work can begin.
Every parcel in the sale carries stipulations meant to protect natural resources on the land. The sale follows the BLM's standard leasing policy process: scoping, public comment, a protest period, then an online sale. The BLM holds lease sales online through a platform called Efficient Markets, and parcel maps and instructions for filing a protest are posted on the agency's ePlanning website. Details on current and upcoming BLM leases are also available through the agency's National Fluids Lease Sale System.
The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land, mostly across 12 western states including Alaska, and administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate nationwide.
