據今日油價網站4月21日消息 美國國土管理局周三發布新聞稿稱，美國內政部將在6月底前取消所有公共土地的油氣租賃銷售。

　　就在新政府就職當天，內政部收回了在聯邦土地和聯邦水域發放油氣勘探許可證的權力，但并沒有直接禁止許可證，而是限制了哪些內部員工可以批準許可證。批準許可證的雇員人數已大幅減少，總共只有9人，而且僅限于“領導層”。這是一個有效的暫停許可程序，雖然不是一個徹底的禁令。

　　1月20日簽署的暫停令原本預計將持續60天，直到3月21日。

　　此后，大陸資源公司（ Continental Resources ）和其他公司相繼提起訴訟，聲稱新的限制是非法的，因為其阻止內政部在《礦產租賃法》規定的時限內就許可申請作出裁決。

　　但現在看來，無論如何都不會有任何石油和天然氣租賃銷售，至少在6月份之前。

　　內政部的新聞稿寫道：“根據我們正在進行的審查，土地管理局正在行使其酌情決定權，不在2021日歷年第二季度舉行租賃銷售。這項決定不影響現有的業務或有效的、現有的租賃許可證，這些許可證將繼續得到審查和批準。”

　　王磊 摘譯自 今日油價

　　原文如下：

　　U.S. Cancels All Q2 Oil, Gas Lease Sales

　　The United States Department of the Interior will cancel all oil and gas lease sales from public lands through the end of June, according to a Bureau of Land Management press release issued on Wednesday.

　　On the very day the gov was inaugurated, the DoI pulled back the reins on issuing permits for oil and gas exploration on federal lands and in federal waters. It did this not by banning permits outright but by limiting which Interior employees could approve permits. The number of employees to approve permits has dwindled significantly to a total of nine, and is limited to “leadership” only. It is an effective suspension of the permitting process, although not an outright ban.

　　The suspension order, signed January 20, was originally expected to last for a period of sixty days–until March 21.

　　Since then, lawsuits by Continental Resources and others have ensued, claiming that the new restrictions are unlawful since it prevents the DoI from ruling on permitting applications in the timeframe allotted in the Mineral Leasing Act.

　　But now, it would appear, there will not be any oil and gas lease sales anyway--at least not through June.

　　“based on our ongoing review, the Bureau of Land Management is exercising its discretion to not hold lease sales in the 2nd quarter of Calendar Year 2021. This decision does not impact existing operations or permits for valid, existing leases, which continue to be reviewed and approved,” the DoI’s press release reads.