lease sale

The state receives about half of the funds from federal lease sales.

Leasing is the first step in the process to develop federal oil and gas resources, and it does not authorize drilling.

BLM lease sales in Wyoming brought in nearly $117 million in 2018.

If leases result in producing oil or gas wells, royalties from production are also shared with the state

The regular, quarterly sale in December netted just $4,000.

She says some employees continued to work during the shutdown to address public comments.

The ruling covers sales beginning this December involving hundreds of thousands acres in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada and Utah.

Bidding opens on June 20 and ends the next day.

The next sale in the state is scheduled to be held in June.