Oil and Gas Leasing Information – Leasing Process
The department conducts four oil and gas lease sales each year, in March, June, September, and December. Tracts can be nominated by an individual or company, or placed in the sale by the Department. The vast majority of tracts are from direct nominations received from individuals or companies.
The steps and approximate timeframes involved in a quarterly lease sale are shown below. For actual deadlines and important dates for a specific sale, see our Oil and Gas Leasing Calendar.
Leasing Time Line
Nomination Deadline |
+/- 10 weeks prior to lease sale |
| Preliminary list of tracts distributed for review and comment. (mailed, emailed, and posted on web, press releases and paid advertisements. | +/- 9 weeks prior to lease sale |
| Comments requested by. (Comments are still received and considered up to and including day of Land Board | +/- 5 weeks prior to lease sale |
| Final Tract list distributed. (Mailed, emailed, and posted on web) | +/- 3 weeks prior to lease sale |
Lease Sale |
|
| Sale results distributed. (Mailed, emailed, and posted on web) | +/- 2 days after lease sale |
| Land Board Consideration | +/- 5-15 days after lease sale |
