>
You have to read six paragraphs in to get to the real issue. 
Hilcorp bid only $63k for the right to drill for gas on 5000 acres.  
If that sounds like a steal, you're right. 
BUT
Previously the department of the Interior had considered a lease but canceled it due to "lack of commercial interest."  
However the inflation reduction act REQUIRED the government to hold a lease sale as part of the  argain with Joe manchin. 
However (2x) the lease is contingent on the results of a lawsuit by environmental groups arguing the legally required environmental impact statement failed to adequately consider whether gas drilling would impact whales. Which probably affected the price. >

I imagine there’s less than a 0% chance any of that shit gets drilled for oil/gas for those environmental reasons. 
$63k is basically like nothing so this was probably done just so they can say they added 5000 acres of drilling rights for Pennie’s in their quarterly reports, which prob makes them more than the $63k they spent. >

According to the article, oil and gas extraction has been going on in the area since the 1950s.