Interior Department Disburses Over $252 Million to Gulf States, Supporting Coastal Restoration and Conservation

Date: Friday, April 29, 2022 
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue today announced distribution of over $252 million in fiscal year 2021 energy revenues to the four offshore Gulf oil and gas producing states – Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas – and their coastal political subdivisions (CPS), such as counties and parishes. The funds, disbursed annually based on offshore oil and gas revenue, can be used to support coastal conservation and restoration projects, hurricane protection programs, onshore infrastructure projects, and activities to implement marine and coastal resilience management plans.

The Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) of 2006 created a revenue-sharing model for oil- and gas-producing Gulf states to receive a portion of the revenue generated from offshore oil and gas leasing in the Gulf of Mexico. The Act also directs a portion of revenue to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

Today’s action represents the second-largest disbursement since Interior first began disbursing GOMESA revenues to states and their CPS in 2009. Since GOMESA’s passage, the Interior Department has disbursed over $1.26 billion to the coastal states and their CPS.

The following amounts were disbursed to states and their subdivisions:

State of Alabama and CPS 

State of Louisiana and CPS 

State of Mississippi and CPS 

State of Texas and CPS 

GOMESA TOTAL: $252,263,255.65 

GOMESA funds are derived from qualified oil and gas leasing revenues on the Outer Continental Shelf and disbursed in accordance with the revenue-sharing provisions of the GOMESA legislation. During FY 2021, Interior’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) disbursed more than $89 million to the LWCF and nearly $357 million to the U.S. Treasury from bonuses, rentals and royalties paid for from GOMESA leases. As required by the legislation, disbursements to the LWCF and Treasury are made in the same year of receipt; disbursements to the states and CPS are made the year following the year of receipt and subject to sequestration. The disbursements are subject to sequestration requirements under the Budget Control Act of 2011.

ONRR manages and ensures full payment of revenues owed for the development of the nation’s energy and natural resources on the Outer Continental Shelf and onshore federal and Tribal lands. In performing this important fiduciary role, ONRR collects an average of over $10 billion in annual revenue.

Revenue-sharing allocations and disbursement details for the FY 2021 receipts are available on the Department’s website.

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