MINERAL BOARD'S APRIL LEASE SALE IS LARGEST SINCE 1981

According to state Mineral Board secretary Gus Rodemacher, April's lease sale of $17,062,854 marked a record high. There were 182 tracts nominated this month, which constitutes the largest sale since September 1981 when the amount was $27,815,577, reported Rodemacher.

The State Mineral Board conducted a Lease Sale April 8, 1998 at 10:00 a.m. in the Mineral Board Hearing Room located in the State Land and Natural Resources Building in Baton Rouge. Below are the preliminary results of the Lease Sale and 1997-98 Fiscal Year totals.

	NOMINATED	NOMINATED	LEASES	NO. OF	AMOUNT OF
CLASSIFICATION	TRACTS	ACREAGE	AWARDED	ACRES	CASH PAYMENTS
Lease Sale April 8, 1998
State Offshore Leases	76	118,176.280	19	7,222.340	$5,665,765.83
State Onshore Leases	58	14,361.910	23	3,085.960	1,269,179.55
State Dedicated Leases	42	64,431.270	12	9,671.070	10,039,787.93
State Agency Leases	6	1,425.890	6	756.180	88,120.96
TOTAL SALE	182	198,395.350	60	20,735.550	$17,062,854.27
1997-98 Fiscal Year
State Offshore Leases	188	290,616.520	51	21,608.008	$10,363,195.71
State Onshore Leases	437	348,547.310	176	45,033.856	12,182,530.68
State Dedicated Leases	43	66,685.270	13	10,541.070	10,310,357.93
State Agency Leases	44	7,194.752	26	3,001.100	724,004.83
TOTAL YEAR TO DATE	712	713,043.852	266	80,184.034	$33,580,089.15

Editors: For more information, please contact DNR Assistant Secretary, Office of Mineral Resources Gus Rodemacher at (504) 342-4607.