Department of the Interior February 24, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On February 6, 2015, BOEM published in the Federal Register the Final Notice of Sale (FNOS) for CPA Sale 235 (80 FR 6758). The FNOS refers to documents entitled ``List of Blocks Available for Leasing'' and ``Unleased Split Blocks.'' The referenced list and map were included in the FNOS Package, and the FNOS Package was made available at the BOEM address and Web site set forth in the FNOS. The list and map identifies blocks to be offered in CPA Sale 235; however, due to a clerical error, one block, South Marsh Island Area, North Addition, Block Number 242, was inadvertently omitted from the list and map.

The Department of the Interior (DOI), acting through BOEM and BSEE, proposes to revise and add new requirements to regulations for exploratory drilling and related operations on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) seaward of the State of Alaska (Alaska OCS). The Alaska OCS has the potential to be an integral part of the Nation's ``all of the above'' domestic energy strategy. This proposed rule focuses solely on the OCS within the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea Planning Areas (Arctic OCS). The Arctic region is characterized by extreme environmental conditions, geographic remoteness, and a relative lack of fixed infrastructure and existing operations. The proposed rule is designed to ensure safe, effective, and responsible exploration of Arctic OCS oil and gas resources, while protecting the marine, coastal, and human environments, and Alaska Natives' cultural traditions and access to subsistence resources.