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Congressman Garret Graves (South Louisiana) joined U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today to announce that the Department will disburse almost $188 million to the four Gulf oil and gas producing states – Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. This represents the first disbursement under Phase II of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (GOMESA). The 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.

Graves has been a staunch defender of GOMESA against multiple attempts to dismantle the program by the Obama and Trump Administrations.

"We have been waiting for this day for a long time. The effort to get a fair share of offshore energy revenues dates back many decades, and every penny of these funds announced today will be invested in urgent coastal restoration and hurricane protection efforts to protect our communities and economy," said Congressman Graves. "Having helped draft and negotiate this law years ago, it is especially satisfying to start to see these many years of work finally pay off."

Louisiana's share of this disbursement is $66,271,724.59. Several parishes in Louisiana's Sixth Congressional District will receive a portion of Louisiana's total: Assumption Parish, $553,603.31; Lafourche Parish, $865,540.61; Livingston Parish, $694,063.94; St. Charles Parish, $594,151.58;
St. John the Baptist Parish, $559,530.88; Terrebonne Parish, $1,260,426.95. Louisiana's State Constitution requires that revenue sharing disbursed to Louisiana through GOMESA be invested in state coastal restoration projects.

"Under President Trump's America-First energy strategy, we've increased energy revenue by a billion dollars nationally in the first year alone, which creates more funding for important conservation projects in the Gulf" said Secretary Zinke. "Offshore energy production means less oil needed from foreign countries and more jobs for the American people. This $188 million will be dedicated to coastal restoration and other projects important to many communities in the Gulf."

The $188 million to be disbursed in FY 2018 is over five times more than the total amount disbursed to states and CPS during the entirety of Phase I of GOMESA, extending from FY 2009 through FY 2017. The increase in disbursements is attributable to the significant increase in the number of leases included under Phase II and the revenues these generated. Approximately $37 million was shared by states and coastal political subdivisions from the Phase I.

Revenue-sharing allocations and disbursement detail for the FY 2017 receipts will be published April 26, 2018, on the ONNR website at: https://www.onrr.gov.