S. 109 — Offshore Energy Security Act of 2025

This section requires the Secretary of the Interior to conduct at least 20 offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico Region Program Area (as identified in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's 2017–2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed Final Program), each offering at least 74 million acres, on specified dates from March 31, 2026, through August 31, 2035—notwithstanding the 2024–2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program and requirements of section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA, 43 U.S.C. 1344). (As background, OCSLA section 18 requires the Secretary to prepare and periodically revise a five-year leasing program based on economic, social, environmental, and other factors to meet national energy needs.) These lease sales must use the same form, terms, economic conditions, and stipulations as Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 261 (88 Fed. Reg. 80750); issue leases within 90 days for acceptable bids using bid adequacy procedures from Central Gulf Sale 241 and Eastern Gulf Sale 226; and, to the maximum extent practicable, follow the January 17, 2017, Record of Decision for the 2017–2022 program. The Secretary may waive other section 18 requirements that delay final approval. This section limits the effect of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) litigation on these lease sales by (1) preserving the validity of issued leases; (2) requiring remand to the Secretary to resolve NEPA violations without vacating the sale or leases under the Administrative Procedure Act; (3) directing continued processing of applications for permits to drill; and (4) requiring notice to lessees within 60 days of filing, with lessees able to request up to a 90-day pause in lease term timelines during pending litigation. This section amends section 104(a) of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (43 U.S.C. 1331 note) to extend the moratorium on oil and gas leasing in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico through December 31, 2035 (from June 30, 2022) and add to the moratorium (1) any area in the South Atlantic Planning Area (as designated by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management as of enactment) and (2) any area in the S [text as provided].