UPDATE 3-U.S. Gulf lease sale has $3 bln top bids

(Recasts, updates with other bids, adds details)

NEW ORLEANS, March 19 (Reuters) - Total high bids topped $3 billion in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil exploration lease Sale 206 on Wednesday, officials said.

"We are shooting for a record," U.S Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne told bidders as he awaited final tabulation of offers for tracts in the central U.S. Gulf.

The highest winning bid appeared to be $105 million by a partnership including Anadarko E&P (APC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Murphy Exploration (MUR.N: Quote, Profile, Research) for Green Canyon Block 432.

Other apparent high bids included two involving Marathon Oil (MRO.N: Quote, Profile, Research), $93 million for Walker Ridge Block 226, and $73 million for Walker Ridge 269.

Chevron USA Inc (CVX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) bid $81 million for Green Canyon 945, Hess Corp (HES.N: Quote, Profile, Research) $61 million for Garden Banks 825 and BP Exploration (BP.L: Quote, Profile, Research) $47 million for Mississippi Canyon 339.

Companies showed strong interest in deepwater tracts in Garden Banks, Mississippi Canyon, Green Canyon and Walker Ridge, with numerous bids in the tens of millions of dollars.

Officials said many of the tracts attracting strong bids were in areas where previous lease sales have led to encouraging discoveries.

"There's a vibrancy here. You can feel it in the room," said Kempthorne, who introduced Sale 206 and read the bids.