News Release

May mineral lease sale brings approximately $3.7 million

The state Mineral Board on Wednesday conducted its monthly lease sale in the LaBelle Room of the LaSalle Office Building in Baton Rouge.

The board collected more than $3.7 million in bonuses in the sale, bringing total collections on mineral leases for the financial year that began July 1, 2008 to $198.6 million.

In all, 30 leases covering 11,306 acres were awarded, out of 62 nominated tracts covering 47,678 acres.

The Board sold leases in 12 parishes – Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, LaSalle, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Richland, St. Martin, Terrebonne and West Baton Rouge. The majority of activity in the April lease sale was in south Louisiana, with 26 of the 30 tracts leased located in the southern end of the state.

CLASSIFICATION	NOMINATED TRACTS	NOMINATED ACREAGE	LEASES AWARDED	NO. OF ACRES	AMOUNT OF CASH PAYMENTS
Lease Sale May 13, 2009
State Offshore Leases	0	0.000	0	0.000	$0.00
State Onshore Leases	56	46,907.870	28	10,667.490	$3,662,525.82
State Dedicated Leases	3	145.000	1	27.000	$4,050.00
State Agency Leases	3	625.499	1	612.000	$91,800.00
Total Sale	62	47,678.369	30	11,306.490	$3,758,375.82
NOTE: The totals for this sale do not reflect any options that may be exercised or revisions to acreage and cash amounts that may take place after this sale date which may cause these totals to change.
2008-2009 Fiscal Year
State Offshore Leases	101	159,704.909	36	12,710.680	$6,004,173.54
State Onshore Leases	604	551,873.086	265	59,664.072	$135,274,605.38
State Dedicated Leases	83	142,347.320	11	2,968.930	$1,431,789.21
State Agency Leases	224	25,269.312	45	4,231.212	$55,951,980.93
Total Year to Date	1012	879,194.627	357	79,574.894	$198,662,549.06
NOTE: The Fiscal Year totals include this sale totals and also options exercised and revisions to acreage and cash amounts that may have taken place from the date of the last sale to this state lease sale.