Gulf oil lease sale postponed by court amid litigation over endangered whale protections

By KEVIN McGILL
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A sale of federal Gulf of Mexico oil and gas leases that had been scheduled for Nov. 8 is being delayed pending court arguments that focus on protections for an endangered whale species. The sale had been scheduled for last month. But oil companies filed suit when the Biden administration reduced the area available for leases from 73 million  acres to 67 million acres. A federal judge later ordered that the original, larger area be put up for bids and the sale was re-set for Nov. 8. But on Thursday the appeals court effectively blocked the sale again, pending arguments set for Nov. 13.