US offers 81 million acres in Gulf of Mexico for oil drilling

The Trump administration is offering more than 81 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas drilling. This initiative, part of a plan to increase domestic energy production, involves the sale of 15,100 unleased blocks through the Marine Minerals Administration. The auction follows a 2025 law requiring a series of 30 lease sales.

In response to these developments, U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta and various local officials and nonprofit leaders have voiced strong opposition. During a news conference at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Panetta and other leaders vowed to fight the administration’s offshore drilling and seabed mining proposals, specifically aiming to protect the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary from industrial expansion.