The Bureau of Land Management set September 15, 2026 as the date for an oil and gas lease sale covering 152,262 acres in Wyoming. The sale offers 120 parcels.
BLM completed scoping on the parcels in February 2026, an early review step in which the agency maps out what a proposed action might affect before a full environmental analysis begins. A public comment period on the parcels and that environmental analysis followed and closed in June 2026.
A 30-day public protest period on the parcels opened this week and closes August 9, 2026. BLM said the parcels, maps of the tracts and instructions for filing a protest are posted on its ePlanning website under the 2026 third-quarter oil and gas lease sale listing.
What happens after the sale
Winning a lease does not by itself clear the way to drill. BLM said an operator must first file an application for permit to drill that spells out its development plans. The agency reviews each application, posts it for public review, conducts an environmental analysis of the specific drilling plan and coordinates with state partners and stakeholders before signing off. BLM said every parcel in the September sale carries stipulations meant to protect natural resources on the land.
The sale itself will run online through BLM's Efficient Markets system. Details on this and other current and upcoming lease offerings are posted through the agency's National Fluid Lease Sale System.
BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land, most of it across 12 western states including Alaska, and separately administers 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate nationwide.
