ISTANBUL

The Trump administration plans to open nearly all US coastal waters to offshore oil drilling, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

The draft oil lease plan targets Southeast US waters that President Donald Trump had previously sought to protect during his reelection campaign, citing concerns over potential spills affecting beaches and tourism.

Documents outlining the Department of the Interior’s wide-ranging proposal indicate it is unclear if the draft plans have been sent to Trump and they could change before being published.

An Interior Department spokesperson declined to comment on deliberative matters but said the agency “has been clear that there is a national energy emergency and all options to combat that crisis and win the AI race against China are on the table.”

The draft plan signals a major expansion of US waters for oil and gas leasing, including areas near coral reefs and Arctic waters that environmentalists say are at risk.

The draft by Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management outlines potential auctions for oil and gas drilling across the US East and West coasts, around Alaska, and in the Gulf of Mexico.

Drilling would likely remain banned in protected areas, including the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off Massachusetts and the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument near Hawaii.

Interior Department documents show there is industry interest in Atlantic and Pacific drilling, with companies broadly supporting expanded access beyond the Gulf.

The draft marks an initial step toward a new five-year plan for Outer Continental Shelf oil leases from 2026 to 2031, which would replace the former Biden administration’s program that scheduled only three auctions from 2024 to 2029.