The largest federal offshore drilling auction in U.S. history, in which oil companies can bid for lucrative waters, is scheduled to take place in New Orleans on Wednesday—five days after the end of the summit in Glasgow, Scotland.
The sale—Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sale 257—involves 80 million acres, or around 125,000 square miles, an area big enough to fit in all but five U.S. states. By comparison, New Mexico's land area covers about 121,300 square miles.
Read more: U.S. To Sell Area the Size of New Mexico For Offshore Drilling Just 5 Days After COP26
