📄 Summary
On November 13, 2025, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) received an unsolicited request to lease hard minerals (herein "minerals") in an area on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) offshore the Commonwealth of Virginia. After reviewing the request, BOEM decided to initiate the first step that could potentially lead to a lease sale by publishing this request for information and interest (RFI). This RFI is not a final decision to lease the minerals and does not prejudge any future Secretarial decisions concerning leasing offshore the Commonwealth of Virginia. This RFI requests information and comments on, and indications of interest in, the leasing of OCS minerals in and around the area identified in this RFI (hereby referred to as the RFI Area). BOEM will consider information and interest received in response to this RFI when considering whether to proceed with additional steps leading to the offering of OCS minerals for lease offshore the Commonwealth of Virginia. Those interested in providing comments should provide the information requested in section 6, "Types of Information and Comments Requested," of this RFI. Those interested in leasing in and around the RFI Area for OCS mineral development should provide the types of information described in section 7, "Requested Information for Indications of Interest." BOEM may or may not offer a lease for commercial OCS mineral development offshore the Commonwealth of Virginia after conducting consultations and environmental review, and after considering public comments.
