	outer continental shelf sale postponed outer continental shelf oil and gas lease sale number in the beaufort sea tentatively schedualed for january has been postponed the u s department of interior said alan powers chief of the minerals maanagement service for the department said the delay is to have more time to study the effects of drilling noise on whale migrations powers said the state has asked for additional noise data for the sale area off alaska s north slope a new date has not been set but it will likely be no sooner than next march powers said some blocks encompassing about mln acres are involved in the proposed sale the area is between three and miles off the northern coast of alaska in the artic ocean between the canadian border and degrees west longitude reuter 
