FOR RELEASE:  August 17, 1994              CONTACT:  Barney Congdon
                                                     (504) 736-2589
                                                           or
                                                       John Barclay
                                                     (202) 208-3983


                  MMS ANNOUNCES AREA IDENTIFICATION FOR 
                     CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO SALE 157 
                    AND WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO SALE 161 (#40060)

     The Interior Department's Minerals Management Service (MMS)
today announced the areas to be studied for possible inclusion in
the 1996 federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lease sales in the
Gulf of Mexico.  Sale 157 in the Central Gulf is tentatively
scheduled for March 1996 and Sale 161 in the Western Gulf is
scheduled for August 1996.

     The area identified for inclusion in the leasing proposal
for Sale 157 contains approximately 30.9 million acres on about
5,760 blocks in the Central Gulf.  The area proposed for
consideration in Sale 161 contains approximately 28.0 million
acres on about 5,100 blocks in the Western Gulf.  The blocks in
the proposed sales are located from 3 to approximately 220 miles
offshore Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.

     The MMS will prepare a draft Environmental Impact Statement
which will discuss the proposals and alternatives for oil and gas
leasing in the Central and Western Gulf of Mexico.


                                                  -MMS-FOR RELEASE:  August 17, 1994              CONTACT:  Barney Congdon
                                                     (504) 736-2589
                                                           or
                                                       John Barclay
                                                     (202) 208-3983
          MMS ANNOUNCES AREA IDENTIFICATION FOR 
CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO SALE 157 AND WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO SALE 161

     The Interior Department's Minerals Management Service today
announced that it has selected the areas for proposed Outer
Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas lease Sales 157 and 161 in the
Central and Western Gulf of Mexico, to be analyzed in an
environmental impact statement (EIS).  This action constitutes the
administrative prelease step referred to as Area Identification. 
This fact sheet contains a description of the area to be analyzed,
as well as background information relevant to the proposed sales. 
A description of the prelease process for the proposed sales also
is provided.


AREA IDENTIFIED

     *The area identified for inclusion in the leasing proposal for
Sale 157 contains approximately 30.9 million acres on about 5,760
blocks in the Central Gulf.  The area proposed for consideration in
Sale 161 contains approximately 28.0 million acres on about 5,100
blocks in the Western Gulf.

     *Distance from shore ranges from approximately 3 miles to 220
miles.  

     * Water depths in the planning areas range from 13 to more
than 11,000 feet.

     The areas selected were based upon consideration of
nominations received from industry and the comments received
regarding environmental and other issues.  (A map of the proposed
area is attached.) 


LEASING HISTORY

     Sale 157, scheduled for March 1996, will be the 52nd lease
sale held in the Central Gulf; and Sale 161, scheduled for August
1996, will be the 35th sale held in the Western Gulf. 
Leasing activity involving areas within the Central and Western
Gulf of Mexico has been extensive.  Indeed, these areas have been
offered in some form since 1954.
                        
EVENTS LEADING TO AREA IDENTIFICATION

     *Sales 157 and 161 are two of the annual Gulf of Mexico lease
sales included in the 1992 Comprehensive Program. 

     *A Call for Information and Nominations was published in the
Federal Register in May 1994.  The Call asked respondents to
outline areas within the Call area that they would like included in
the proposed sale and requested information that would be useful in
identifying potential conflicts with approved local coastal
management plans, potential environmental effects and use
conflicts, possible mitigating measures, and possible lease terms
and conditions.

     *Two responses to the Call were received, one from industry
and one from the Marine Mammal Commission.


FURTHER ACTIONS REGARDING THE PROPOSED SALE

     The potential effects of leasing in the area identified will
undergo extensive environmental analysis in the draft EIS. 
Comments received on the Call for Information and Nominations and
the Notice of Intent, and during the EIS scoping process, will be
used with existing environmental data to analyze alternatives to
the proposed action and appropriate mitigating measures. 

     *After a draft EIS is issued, public hearings will be held. 
Comments received will be used to develop the final EIS. 

     *A decision whether to issue a proposed Notice of Sale will be
made in conjunction with the issuance of the draft EIS.  If issued,
it will present a proposed decision on blocks to offer; special
mitigating measures to protect human, coastal, and marine resources
in the area; and other conditions and terms that will apply to the
leases.  The Governors of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and
Texas will be asked for their recommendations on the size, timing,
and location of the proposed sale.  After careful consideration of
the Governors' comments, the Secretary of the Interior will make a
final decision.

     The final Notice of Sale will be issued at least 30 days
before bids are opened.  Copies of the area map are available from:

                        Minerals Management Service
                        Gulf of Mexico OCS Region
                        1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard
                        New Orleans, LA  70123-2589

                                      -MMS-

Subject: PR-8/17/94 Sales 157, 161/MMS Announces Area ID for GOM
Sales 157, 161 (#40060)