Some good news for the oil and gas industry – the Biden administration’s suspension of new oil and gas leases on federal land was blocked this week by a federal judge. The Louisiana judge ordered that plans are to continue for lease sales – it effectively grants a preliminary injunction, which halts the suspension pending later arguments. The President’s moratorium was first issued as an executive order on Jan. 27. 

A number of states then filed a lawsuit, stating that this executive order could cost them billions of dollars. While some components of the moratorium were later lifted, opponents remained very concerned that it still unfairly harmed states with a great deal of public land, such as New Mexico. This debate is certainly not over, but the judge’s decision was a great victory against an executive order that could cost thousands of jobs and destroy state economies.  

Attorneys also called Judge Terry Doughty’s decision a victory for rule of law.

From the office of Mayor Dale Janway