Minerals Management Service 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

MMS is proposing to incorporate by reference the First Edition of the American Petroleum Institute's Recommended Practice for Cementing Shallow Water Flow Zones in Deep Water Wells (API RP 65) into MMS regulations. Since 1987, at least 113 OCS wells have encountered shallow water flow (SWF) to varying degrees. The majority of these wells experienced SWF to only a minor degree; however, there were instances of severe encounters resulting in abandonment of well sites and loss of wells. This action would establish best practices for cementing wells in deep water areas of the OCS that are prone to SWF.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we have submitted to OMB an information collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR part 204Alternatives for Marginal Properties, subpart CAccounting and Auditing Relief. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements. This ICR is titled ``30 CFR part 204Alternatives for Marginal Properties, Subpart C Accounting and Auditing Relief.'' This ICR covers the regulatory language under 30 CFR part 204, as published in the Accounting and Auditing Relief for Marginal Properties final rule on September 13, 2004 (69 FR 55076). This citation explains how lessees and their designees can obtain accounting and auditing relief for production from Federal oil and gas leases and units and communitization agreements that qualify as marginal properties.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are inviting comments on a collection of information that we will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request (ICR) concerns the paperwork requirements under the Endangered Species Act Biological Opinions, issued by the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries (NOAA Fisheries) and is titled: ``Notices to Lessees and Operators (NTLs)Implementation of Seismic Survey Mitigation Measures and Protected Species Observer Program, NTLVessel Strike Avoidance and Injured/Dead Protected Species Reporting; and NTLMarine Trash and Debris Awareness and Elimination.''

Following consultation with the General Services Administration, notice is hereby given that the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) is renewing the OCS Policy Committee. The OCS Policy Committee will provide advice to the Secretary, through the Director of the Minerals Management Service, related to the discretionary functions of the Bureau under the OCS Lands Act and related statutes. The Committee will review and comment on all aspects of leasing, exploration, development and protection of OCS resources and provide a forum to convey views representative of coastal states, local government, offshore mineral industries, environmental community, and other users of the offshore and the interested public.

Pursuant to the authority vested in the Director of the Minerals Management Service by the joint bidding provisions of 30 CFR 256.41, each entity within one of the following groups shall be restricted from bidding with any entity in any other of the following groups at Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas lease sales to be held during the bidding period May 1, 2006 through October 31, 2006. The List of Restricted Joint Bidders published in the Federal Register November 7, 2005 covered the period November 1, 2005 through April 30, 2006.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we have submitted to OMB an information collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR part 202Royalties and part 206Product Valuation. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements. The title of this ICR is ``30 CFR part 202 Royalties, subpart CFederal and Indian Oil, and subpart JGas Production From Indian Leases; and part 206Product Valuation, subpart BIndian Oil, and subpart EIndian Gas.'' The title reflects the previous consolidation of portions of six ICRs relating to Indian oil and gas leases. The six ICRs were previously titled: 1010-0061: 30 CFR part 206, subpart BIndian Oil, Sec. 206.55Determination of Transportation Allowances (Form MMS-4110, Oil Transportation Allowance Report). 1010-0075: 30 CFR part 206, subpart EIndian Gas, Sec. 206.178How do I determine a transportation allowance? (Form MMS-4295, Gas Transportation Allowance Report), and Sec. 206.180How do I determine an actual processing allowance? (Form MMS-4109, Gas Processing Allowance Summary Report). 1010-0095: 30 CFR part 206Product Valuation, Subpart B Indian Oil, Sec. 206.54; subpart CFederal Oil, Sec. 206.109; subpart DFederal Gas, Sec. Sec. 206.156 and 206.158; and Subpart E Indian Gas, Sec. 206.177 (Form MMS-4393, Request to Exceed Regulatory Allowance Limitation).

The OCS Scientific Committee will meet at the Hotel Mar Monte in Santa Barbara, California.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), MMS is inviting comments on a collection of information that we will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request (ICR) concerns the paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR 254, ``Oil-Spill Response Requirements for Facilities Located Seaward of the Coast Line.''

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is issuing this notice to advise the public, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., that MMS has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) for proposed Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas Lease Sale 200 in the Western Gulf of Mexico (GOM) (Lease Sale 200) scheduled for August 2006. Proposed Lease Sale 200 is the fifth Western Planning Area (WPA) lease sale scheduled in the Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program: 2002-2007 (5-Year Program, OCS EIS/EA MMS 2002-006). The preparation of this EA is an important step in the decisionmaking process for Lease Sale 200. The proposal for Lease Sale 200 (the offering of all available unleased acreage in the WPA) and its alternatives (the proposed action excluding the unleased blocks near biologically sensitive topographic features and no action) were identified by the MMS Director in January 2002 following the Call for Information and Nominations/Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and were analyzed in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2003-2007; Central Planning Area Sales 185, 190, 194, 198, and 201; Western Planning Area Sales 187, 192, 196, and 200Final Environmental Impact Statement; Volumes I and II (Multisale EIS, OCS EIS/EA MMS 2002-052). The Multisale EIS analyzed the effects of a typical WPA lease sale by presenting a set of ranges for resource estimates, projected exploration and development activities, and impact-producing factors for any of the proposed WPA lease sales. The level of activities projected for proposed Lease Sale 200 falls within these ranges. In this EA, which tiers from the Multisale EIS and incorporates that document by reference, MMS reexamined the potential environmental effects of the proposed action and its alternatives based on any new information regarding potential impacts and issues that were not available at the time the Multisale EIS was prepared. No new significant impacts were identified for proposed Lease Sale 200 that were not already assessed in the Multisale EIS. As a result, MMS determined that a supplemental EIS is not required and prepared a Finding of No New Significant Impact (FONNSI).

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), MMS is inviting comments on a collection of information that we will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request (ICR) concerns the paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR 260, ``Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing.''

This notice announces a panel discussion regarding implementation of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Act). The panel discussion, entitled ``The Energy Policy Act of '05What Lies Ahead,'' will be conducted April 25, 2006, in Houston, Texas. The intent of the panel discussion is to bring together some of the leading experts from the Department of the Interior who are responsible for implementing the provisions of the Act. The panel will discuss major provisions of the Act and will provide the latest implementation status regarding the provisions, including alternate energy related uses on the outer continental shelf (OCS); coastal impact assistance; royalty incentives; royalty credits; and streamlined oil and gas permit processing. This panel discussion is being held in conjunction with the Eighth Annual Industry Awards Program, which honors exceptional mineral revenue reporting, commendable corporate leadership practices, and excellent safety records. The panel discussion is free of charge. Cost of the awards program and luncheon is $50, and MMS encourages interested persons to register and pay online by credit card for the awards program and luncheon. All attendees should register by Friday, April 14, 2006. Information about the event, registration, hotel reservations, and award selection criteria is available at the following Web site: https://www.mms.gov/awards.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are inviting comments on a collection of information that we will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request (ICR) concerns the paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR 203, ``Relief or Reduction in Royalty Rates.''

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Minerals Management Service (MMS) request comments and suggestions to assist in the preparation of proposed regulations governing Gas Hydrate Production Incentives. The rule would provide incentives to promote natural gas production from the natural gas hydrate resources on Federal lands in Alaska and in Federal waters on the Outer Continental Shelf. We encourage the public to provide comments and suggestions to help clarify and define the requirements for Gas Hydrate Production Incentives as described in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

This rule upgrades minimum blowout prevention and well control requirements for well-workover operations on the OCS performed using coiled tubing with the production tree in place. Since 1997, there have been eight coiled tubing-related incidents on OCS facilities. The rule helps prevent losses of well control, and provides for increased safety and environmental protection.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) will hold Public Scoping Meetings on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Proposed 5-Year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2007-2012. Pursuant to the regulations implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), the MMS will hold Public Scoping Meetings on the Draft EIS for the 2007- 2012 OCS Oil and Gas 5-Year Leasing Program. The MMS stated its intent to prepare an EIS in the August 24, 2005, Federal Register notice and Request for Information (RFI). In the Draft Proposed Program (DPP) and Federal Register notice and RFI on February 9, 2006, the MMS again solicited comments and provided procedures for submitting them, and again stated its intent to hold Public Scoping Meetings. The following Public Scoping Meetings are planned for the DEIS development.

Minerals Management Service (MMS), in accordance with Federal Regulations that implement the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), announces the availability of NEPA-related Site-Specific Environmental Assessments (SEA) and Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSI), prepared by MMS for the following oil and gas activities proposed on the Gulf of Mexico OCS.

On March 15, 2006, the MMS will open and publicly announce bids received for blocks offered in Central GOM Oil and Gas Lease Sale 198, pursuant to the OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331-1356, as amended), and the regulations issued thereunder (30 CFR part 256). The Final Notice of Sale 198 Package (FNOS 198 Package) contains information essential to bidders, and bidders are charged with the knowledge of the documents contained in the Package.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), MMS is inviting comments on a collection of information that we will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The information collection request (ICR) concerns the paperwork requirements in a Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) discussed below.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we have submitted to OMB an information collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR part 208Sale of Federal Royalty Oil. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements. The title of this information collection request (ICR) is ``30 CFR Part 208Sale of Federal Royalty Oil; Sale of Federal Royalty Gas; and Commercial Contracts (Forms MMS-4070, Application for the Purchase of Royalty Oil; MMS-4071, Letter of Credit; and MMS-4072, Royalty-in-Kind Contract Surety Bond).'' We changed the title of this ICR to clarify the regulatory language we are covering under 30 CFR part 208 and to include relevant portions of the Royalty-In-Kind (RIK) 5-Year Business Plan. The title change also reflects OMB's approval of consolidation of five RIK-related ICRs. Those ICRs were titled: 1010-0042: 30 CFR part 208Sale of Federal Royalty Oil; Royalty-in-Kind (RIK) Program (Form MMS-4070, Application for the Purchase of Royalty Oil); 1010-0119: 30 CFR part 208Sale of Federal Royalty Oil, Royalty Oil Sales to Eligible Refiners (30 CFR 208.4(a) and (d)); 1010-0126: Royalty-In-Kind (RIK) Pilot Program Directed Communications by Operators of Federal Oil and Gas Leases; 1010-0129: Royalty-in-Kind Pilot ProgramOffers, Financial Statements, and Surety Instruments for Sales of Royalty Oil and Gas; and 1010-0135: 30 CFR 208.11(a), (b), (d), and (e)Surety Requirements (Forms MMS-4071 and MMS-4072). In the five ICRs, much of the general information was repeated and cross referenced. This consolidated ICR 1010-0119 eliminates that duplication of effort and redundancy of data and provides for review of all RIK information collection requirements on a program-wide basis.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we have submitted to OMB an information collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR part 250, ``Pipelines and Pipeline Rights-of-Way,'' and related documents. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we have submitted to OMB an information collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR part 280, ``Prospecting for Minerals other than Oil, Gas, and Sulphur on the Outer Continental Shelf,'' and related documents. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.