The Bureau of Land Management’s Utah State Office has approved a 2026 geothermal lease sale covering 37 parcels and 74,891.93 acres, according to a August 28 report. The approved parcels are located across areas managed by the Cedar City and Fillmore Field Offices.
The geothermal lease sale proceeded after an environmental review, which included an Environmental Assessment, a Finding of No Significant Impact, and a Decision Record, determined the action would produce no significant impact. This approval allows the sale to move toward 2026.
In a separate action, the BLM Vernal Field Office approved two applications for permit to drill for Uinta Wax Operating LLC. These permits authorize drilling oil wells in Duchesne County from the existing RP Tribal Well Pad. While the BLM approved the permits for the mineral estate, the surface land in Section 21 of Township 3 South, Range 1 West, is managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The two decisions reflect the BLM's management of diverse energy resources on federal lands. The geothermal leasing opens opportunities for renewable energy development, while the oil well permits allow for expanded production from an existing site without requiring new road construction or surface disturbance.
