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* Sale garners $872 mln in high bids in central, westernGulf
* BP wins 24 bids for $41.6 million
* Freeport McMoRan scores high bid at $68.79 million (Updates with detail about bids, sale results, adds byline)
By Kristen Hays
HOUSTON, March 19 (Reuters) - BP Plc rejoinedbidders for exploration and production leases in the Gulf ofMexico on Wednesday and won 24 tracts after the U.S. governmentlifted a 16-month ban barring the company from new federalcontracts.
The Environmental Protection Agency in late 2012 barred BPfrom bidding on new federal contracts, citing a "lack ofbusiness integrity." The action came after the company's 2010Macondo oil well blowout killed 11 rig workers and unleashedmore than 4 million barrels of crude into the Gulf in the worstoffshore oil disaster in U.S. history.
Last week, the EPA lifted the ban which barred BP frombidding on new Gulf leases as well as other new contracts, suchas fuel supply for the U.S. military. The deal came after theoil major committed to a set of safety, ethical and corporategovernance requirements.
BP had sued over the ban, saying the company was beingunfairly penalized. The company, which had maintained itscurrent contracts worth more than $1.34 billion, lastparticipated in a lease sale in June 2012.
BP submitted 31 bids on Tuesday for Wednesday's sale, andwas the high bidder on 24 bids for $41.6 million, spokesmanBrett Clanton said.
However, none reached the top 10 bids for tracts in thecentral Gulf. Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc, wonsix of the top 10 bids for more than $272 million, including thehighest bid of $68.79 million, according to the U.S. Bureau ofOcean Energy Management (BOEM).
Freeport re-entered U.S. oil and gas exploration last yearwith its $9 billion acquisition of Plains Exploration andProduction Co and McMorRan Exploration Co, the latter of whichFreeport spun off a decade ago.
In 2012, Plains moved into the deepwater Gulf with itsacquisition of three of BP's older oil and gas fields and aRoyal Dutch Shell stake in a BP field for $6.1 billion.Freeport announced the deal to buy Plains three months later.
BP had been selling assets to refocus on higher-producingGulf assets as well as help cover its spill-related costs, whichhave reached about $42 billion.
WINNING BIDS TOTAL $872 MLN
BOEM said there were 383 bids in all from 43 companies indeep and shallow water areas in the central and western Gulf.
Overall, the sales in the central and western parts of theGulf brought in $872 million in high bids on 329 tracts.
Chevron Corp was the second-highest bidder in thesale, and its two bids for $98.1 million included the No. 2 bidof $62 million.
Rounding out those top bids was $43.5 million from RoyalDutch Shell PLC and a $30 million joint bid fromColombia's state-run Ecopetrol SA and Murphy Oil Corp.
Exxon Mobil Corp was the sole bidder in the westernsale, winning three tracts for $21.3 million. (Reporting by Kristen Hays; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe andMarguerita Choy)
