U.S. Gulf oil lease sale yields $124 million in winning bids: BOEM

(Reuters) - The U.S. Interior Department's record-size Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sale yielded $124.76 million in high bids, Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said on Wednesday.

BOEM said it received a total of 159 bids on 148 blocks, from some 33 companies. Spokesman Mike Celata characterized the results of the sale as "positive".

(Writing by Richard Valdmanis)