The Biden administration held the first federal onshore oil and gas lease sale in nearly a year Thursday after months of repeated delays.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the agency responsible for leasing land for multiple uses as part of its role overseeing nearly 250 million acres of public land, offered a total of 45 parcels across 10,123 acres in New Mexico and Kansas. The auction sparked calls from the American Petroleum Institute (API), the largest oil and gas industry group, for the administration to follow federal law and hold more sales.

"With approximately 10% of U.S. oil production and 9% of natural gas production coming from federal lands, consistent federal onshore leasing is important — and not optional," API Vice President of Upstream Policy Holly Hopkins said in a statement to FOX Business. 

"While today’s sale is a step in the right direction, it does not rewrite the administration’s record of delaying and canceling quarterly lease sales, reducing acreage available for lease and disincentivizing the development of U.S. natural resources.