Recently, the Department of the Interior’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) announced the disbursement of $16.45 billion in revenues generated in fiscal year 2024 from energy production on federal and Tribal onshore lands, and federal offshore areas.

This year’s overall disbursement is the fourth largest since 1982, with three of the four highest years occurring in the past four years. The disbursements provide funds for states and Tribes to pursue a variety of goals, from the planning, construction, and maintenance of public facilities to conservation goals, including irrigation and hydropower projects, historic preservation initiatives, and efforts to protect public lands.

This year, $1.18 billion was distributed to Tribes and individual Indian mineral owners; $3.09 billion to the Reclamation Fund; $1.01 billion to the Land and Water Conservation Fund; $150 million to the Historic Preservation Fund; $413 million to federal agencies; and $6.32 billion to the U.S. Treasury.

ONRR also disbursed $4.29 billion in fiscal year 2024 funds to 33 states. This revenue was collected from oil, gas, renewable energy, and mineral production on federal lands within the states’ borders and offshore oil and gas tracts in federal waters adjacent to four Gulf of Mexico states’ shores.

The states receiving the highest disbursements based on those activities are:
New Mexico                $2.88 billion

Wyoming                  $590.92 million

Louisiana                 $163.47 million

North Dakota           $146.66 million

Texas                       $100.74 million

Utah                           $93.74 million

Colorado                   $89.23 million

 Mississippi             $52.60 million

Alabama                     $52.14 million

California                    $46.46 million

Alaska                        $30.58 million

Montana                     $22.54 million

The revenues disbursed to 33 federally recognized Tribes and approximately 31,000 individual Indian mineral owners represent 100 percent of the revenues received for energy and mineral production activities on Indian lands. Tribes use these revenues to develop infrastructure, provide health care and education, and support other critical community development programs, such as senior centers, public safety projects, and youth initiatives.

Energy and mineral revenues collected, accounted for, analyzed, audited, and disbursed by ONRR are generated from energy and mineral leases and other uses of public resources on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf and onshore federal and Tribal lands.

Since 1982, the Department has disbursed over $387 billion in mineral leasing revenues. ONRR makes most of these disbursements monthly from the royalties, rents, and bonuses it collects from energy and mineral companies operating on federal lands and waters.

A complete list of states receiving revenues and FY 2024 disbursement data is available on the Natural Resources Revenue Data portal.