The largest oil and gas mining lease sale ever made by the Bureau of Indian Affairs will be offered prospective bidders at a sale to be held at Window Rock, Arizona, April 21, May 1, May 12, and May 22, Secretary of the Interior Douglas McKay announced today.
The land area totals more than 528,000 acres in the vicinity of the isolated Four Corners area on the Navajo reservation in Arizona and Utah. If all the land is taken up by successful bidders, the Navajo Tribe could realize a cash bonus estimated at a possible $3,000,000 plus annual rental payments of $650,000 per year, and one-eighth royalty if production is obtained.
Sealed bids will be received by Allan G. Harper J area director, Navajo-Hopi reservation, at the Window Rock Area office on tracts which average 2,560 acres each and which involves a total of 214 tracts.
The bids are to be opened as follows:
Block A, 53 tracts, totaling approximately 130,963.80 acres, bids to be opened at 2:00 p.m., April 21;
Block B, 52 tracts, totaling approximately 130,108.64 acres, bids to be opened at 2:00 p.m., May l;
Block C, 60 tracts, totaling approximately 147,094.49 acres, bids to be opened at 2:00 p.m., May 12;
Block D, 49 tracts, totaling approximately 120,642 acres, bids to be opened at 2:00 p.m., May 22.
Blocks A, B, c, and D, lie in Utah, south of the San Juan River and in northeast Arizona in the vicinity of the Four Corners.
In addition, bids will also be opened April 21 on 10,240 acres of Tribal land in San Juan County, New Mexico, approximately 15 miles south of Shiprock; bids will also be opened on 5,540 acres of Tribal land in Coconino County, Arizona, located approximately 6 miles southwest of Tuba City. Prospective bidden, will also be invited to bid on 8,155 acres of individual scattered allotted lands in San Juan County, New Mexico, approximately 20 miles south of Farmington, New Mexico.
The leases are offered without any special drilling requirements. Geologists, representing many oil and gas companies, have made exhaustive geological surveys of the area to be leased by the Navajo Tribe. There is great oil and gas development, adjoining the tracts now opened for lease, in the vicinity of Shiprock, Farmington and Bloomfield, New Mexico.
This will be the first major sale for oil and gas leases on the Arizona side of the reservation. Prospective bidders, not on the mailing list, may procure copies of the advertisements by phoning or writing Mr. Marvin D. Long, Chief of Lands, Window Rock, Arizona,
