The Trump administration held its third offshore lease sale for oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of America, drawing weaker bidding and less than a third of the revenue generated from the first auction last year. AdvertisementThe second lease sale held in March drew in nearly $47 million for 25 blocks, stretching across roughly 141,000 acres. It was the largest oil auction in the region since 2015. TRUMP LIFTS ENDANGERED SPECIES PROTECTIONS IN GULF OF AMERICA TO BOOST DRILLINGRegardless of how much Wednesday’s auction generated, the industry views the sale as a success. Advertisement“Today’s lease sale is about far more than today’s bids,” National Ocean Industries Association president Erik Milito said.