The lease sale today was the first to take place since President Bush last month lifted an executive ban on oil drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Since then, politicians in both parties have signaled that they are willing to expand offshore exploration.

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne called today's sale a step toward more domestic oil production. He acknowledged, however, that some of the purchased leases might not end up producing oil.

Offshore wells now provide 27 percent of the nation's domestic oil.