End Speculative Oil and Gas Leasing Act of 2023

The End Speculative Oil and Gas Leasing Act of 2023 would require the Secretary of the Interior to assess the oil and gas development potential of Federal land before offering it for lease. It mandates the creation of "reasonably foreseeable development scenarios" that must designate land as high, moderate, low, or no potential for oil and gas development, with public input required in the process. The bill prohibits leasing land designated as having low or no potential for oil and gas development, except for limited exceptions related to preventing drainage from adjacent productive wells. It also establishes a variance process for limited leasing of low/no potential land under strict conditions that minimize environmental impacts and maintain multiple land uses. This would primarily affect Federal land management decisions on oil and gas leasing across public lands and National Forest System lands.