July 2005 Lease Sale Announced by Mineral Board

The State Mineral Board conducted its monthly lease sale on July 13, 2005, at 10 a.m. in the Conservation and Mineral Resources Hearing Room located in the LaSalle Office Building in Baton Rouge.

Mineral Board Secretary Gus Rodemacher said this fiscal year’s start marks a significant increase in lease sale activity as compared to this time last year. He said there were 112 nominated tracts and 29 issued leases in the amount of $1,930,619 in FY 2004-05. This month, which marks the start of FY 2005-06, there were 148 nominated tracts and 50 issued leases at approximately $4.5 million. Below are the preliminary results of the lease sale.

CLASSIFICATION	NOMINATED TRACTS	NOMINATED ACREAGE	LEASES AWARDED	NO. OF ACRES	AMOUNT OF CASH PAYMENTS
Lease Sale July 13, 2005
State Offshore Leases	23	21,960.560	3	1,039.880	$742,717.28
State Onshore Leases	119	130,693.020	41	11,060.300	$3,772,438.51
State Dedicated Leases	0	0.000	0	0.000	$0.00
State Agency Leases	6	124.110	6	96.540	$20,023.60
Total Sale	148	152,777.690	50	12,196.720	$4,535,179.39

2005-2006 Fiscal Year
State Offshore Leases	23	21,960.560	3	1,039.880	$742,717.28
State Onshore Leases	119	130,693.020	41	11,060.300	$3,772,438.51
State Dedicated Leases	0	0.000	0	0.000	$0.00
State Agency Leases	6	124.110	6	96.540	$20,023.60
Total Year to Date	148	152,777.690	50	12,196.720	$4,535,179.39

Note: 2005-2006 Fiscal Year totals do not include any "portions" that were leased after state lease sales.

Editors: For information, contact Rick Heck at 225-342-6122 or DNR Assistant Secretary Office of Mineral Resources Gus Rodemacher at 225-342-4607.