Minerals Management Service 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces the January 17, 2008, meeting of the Royalty Policy Committee (RPC). Agenda items for the meeting of the RPC will include remarks from the Director, MMS, and the Associate Director, Minerals Revenue Management (MRM), as well as updates from the Subcommittee on Royalty Management and the Coal and Indian Oil Valuation Subcommittees. The RPC membership includes representation from states, Indian Tribes, various mineral interests, the public-at- large (with knowledge and interest in royalty issues), and other Federal departments.

The MMS proposes that all lessees, operators, permittees, and rights-of-way holders pay all fees for processing plans, applications, and permits electronically. The MMS believes this proposed rule would aid industry in payment processing, and reduce payment processing errors. This proposed rule would improve MMS processing efficiency and facilitate the correction of industry payment errors. The MMS would not accept checks, money orders, or cashier's checks for payment of fees after the effective date of the final rule.

This notice extends by 45 days, the post-sale evaluation period for Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 205. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) will complete evaluating all the bids received in this sale by February 15, 2008. This action is necessary due to the unusually high number of bids received in this lease sale.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is amending the existing regulations regarding valuation, for royalty purposes, of oil produced from Indian leases. These amendments will clarify and update the existing regulations.

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 282, Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf for Minerals Other than Oil, Gas, and Sulphur. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

The 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 intends to prepare an EA for proposed OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sale 207 in the Western GOM Planning Area (Lease Sale 207) scheduled for August 2008. The MMS is issuing this notice to facilitate public involvement. The preparation of this EA is an important step in the decision process for Lease Sale 207. The proposal for Lease Sale 207 was identified by the Call for Information and Nominations published in the Federal Register on April 28, 2006, and was analyzed in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2007- 2012; Western Planning Area Sales 204, 207, 210, 215, and 218; Central Planning Area Sales 205, 206, 208, 213, 216, and 222Final Environmental Impact Statement; Volumes I and II (Multisale Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), OCS EIS/EA MMS 2007-018). This EA for proposed Lease Sale 207 will reexamine the potential environmental effects of the proposed lease sale and its alternatives (excluding the unleased blocks near biologically sensitive topographic features, use of a nomination and tract selection leasing system, and no action) based on any new information regarding potential impacts and issues that were not available at the time the Multisale EIS was prepared.

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 250, Subpart B, Plans and Information.

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 November 1, 2007, through April 30, 2008. The List of Restricted Joint Bidders published in the Federal Register on April 17, 2007, covered the period May 1, 2007, through October 31, 2007.

The MMS will hold a workshop to discuss the possible need to develop a new regulation allowing for a Suspension of Operations, specifically related to high pressure or high temperature equipment needed for safe drilling, completion, or production operations. This Suspension of Operations would allow for an extension of a lease when the modification of existing technology is considered necessary in order to operate in frontier areas due to unexpected high temperatures or high pressures encountered on your lease. This type of Suspension of Operations would not apply to the initial design, development, or manufacturing of new technology. Workshop Date: January 23, 2008, beginning at 9 a.m. Workshop Location:The workshop will be held at the Gulf of Mexico Regional Office, Minerals Management Service, Room 111, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394. All interested parties are invited to attend.

The MMS has prepared a final programmatic EIS in support of the establishment of a program for authorizing alternative energy and alternate use activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), as authorized by Section 388 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), and codified in subsection 8(p) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA). Pursuant to the regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the MMS is announcing the availability of this final programmatic EIS. As part of its efforts to develop a regulatory program for alternative energy and alternate use activities, this final programmatic EIS examines the potential environmental effects of the program on the OCS and identifies policies and best management practices that may be adopted for the program. Several alternatives available to the MMS for implementing an alternative energy and alternate use program on the OCS are analyzed in this final programmatic EIS, including the ``no action'' alternative. The MMS intends to prepare a separate NEPA analysis, tiered from this EIS, to evaluate the environmental impacts of the proposed rule for alternative energy and alternate use activities on the OCS. Further, separate lease sale, activity-specific, and proposal-specific NEPA analyses will be prepared as appropriate.

The MMS has prepared a Final SEIS on a tentatively scheduled 2008 oil and gas leasing proposal (Sale 224) in the Eastern GOM Planning Area, off the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. As mandated in the recently enacted Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-432, December 20, 2006), MMS shall offer a portion of the ``181 Area,'' located in the Eastern Planning Area, more than 125 miles from Florida for oil and gas leasing.

The 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 the MMS has prepared an EA for proposed OCS oil and gas Lease Sale 206 in the Central GOM Planning Area (Lease Sale 206) scheduled for March 2008. The preparation of this EA is an important step in the decision process for Lease Sale 206. The proposal for Lease Sale 206 was identified by the Call for Information and Nominations published in the Federal Register on April 28, 2006, and was analyzed in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2007- 2012; Western Planning Area Sales 204, 207, 210, 215, and 218; Central Planning Area Sales 205, 206, 208, 213, 216, and 222Final Environmental Impact Statement(EIS); Volumes I and II (Multisale EIS, OCS EIS/EA MMS 2007-018). The proposal does not include approximately 5.8 million acres located in the southeastern part of the Central Planning Area which the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 opened to leasing after many years of appropriations Acts containing leasing moratoria. Because of the limited geological and geophysical data available to industry and the limited environmental review for this area, the MMS has decided that it would be premature to offer this area in proposed Lease Sale 206. Before the area is offered for lease, the MMS will conduct a separate NEPA review to reevaluate the expanded CPA sale area. This EA for proposed Lease Sale 206 reexamined the potential environmental effects of the proposed lease sale and its alternatives excluding the unleased blocks near biologically sensitive topographic features; excluding the unleased blocks within 15 miles of the Baldwin County, Alabama Coast; and no action 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 206 that were not already assessed in the Multisale EIS. As a result, the 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), 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 parts 202, 206, 210, 212, 217, and 218. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements. We changed the title of this ICR to reflect OMB consolidation approval of solid mineral and geothermal ICRs. Those ICRs were titled: 1010-0074: 30 CFR Part 206Product Valuation, Subpart J Indian Coal (Forms MMS-4292, Coal Washing Allowance Report, and MMS- 4293, Coal Transportation Allowance Report); 1010-0120: 30 CFR Part 206, Subpart FFederal Coal and Subpart JIndian Coal; Part 210, Subpart BOil, Gas, and OCS Sulfur General, Subpart ESolid Minerals, General, Subpart HGeothermal Resources; Part 218, Subpart BOil and Gas, General, Subpart ESolid MineralsGeneral (Form MMS-4430, Solid Minerals Production and Royalty Report); and 1010-0169: 30 CFR Parts 202, 206, 210, 217, and 218 Valuation of Geothermal Resources. The title of this ICR is ``30 CFR 202, 206, 210, 212, 217, and 218Solid Minerals and Geothermal Collections.'' Forms associated with this information collection are Forms MMS-4430, Solid Minerals Production and Royalty Report; MMS-4292, Coal Washing Allowance Report; and MMS-4293, Coal Transportation Allowance Report.

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 250, subpart P, Sulphur Operations. 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 inviting comments on a collection of information that we will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The previous title of this ICR was ``30 CFR Part 220 Accounting Procedures for Determining Net Profit Share Payment for Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leases, Sec. 220.010 NPSL capital account, Sec. 220.030 Maintenance of records, Sec. 220.031 Reporting and payment requirements, Sec. 220.032 Inventories, and Sec. 220.033 Audits.'' The new title of this ICR is ``30 CFR 220-OCS Net Profit Share Payment Reporting.'' There are no forms associated with this information collection.

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), we are notifying the public that we will be submitting to OMB an information collection request (ICR) to renew approval of the paperwork requirements in the regulations under 30 CFR 250, subpart F, Oil and Gas Well-Workover Operations, 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), 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 281, Leasing for Minerals Other than Oil, Gas and Sulphur in the Outer Continental Shelf.

On August 23, 2007, pursuant to 30 CFR 256 and 40 CFR 1501.7 as a matter of information to the public, the MMS published in the Federal Register a Call for Information and Nomination and Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS for the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea OCS planning areas. The Call is the initial step of a multiple sale process that incorporates planning and analysis for the Alaska lease sales included in the proposed final OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2007- 2012. We inadvertently omitted a page-size map of the Beaufort Sea Planning Area which should have accompanied a page-size map of the Chukchi Sea Planning Area and instead included two duplicate page-size maps of the Chukchi Sea Planning Area. The correct Beaufort Sea Planning Area map accompanies this notice.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has issued a Record of Decision for OCS Central GOM Lease Sale 205 (October 2007). As part of the decision process, MMS published in April 2007 a final environmental impact statement (EIS) on the 2007-2012 Western and Central GOM oil and gas leasing proposals, including Sale 205. In preparing this decision, MMS has considered alternatives to the proposed actions, the impacts of Sale 205 as presented in the EIS, and all comments received throughout the EIS-process. AVAILABILITY: To obtain a copy of the Record of Decision and Final EIS, you may contact the Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Public Information Office (MS 5034), 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Room 114, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 (1-800-200- GULF). An electronic copy of the Record of Decision and Final EIS is available at the MMS's Internet Web site at https://www.gomr.mms.gov/ homepg/regulate/environ/nepa/nepaprocess.html.

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 250, Subpart A, General, and related documents. This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

This Call for Information and Nominations (hereinafter referred to as ``Call'') is the initial step in a multiple-sale process that incorporates planning and analysis for lease sales in the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea planning areas included in the proposed final OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program 2007-2012 (see 72 Federal Register (FR) 24326, May 2, 2007). Four lease sales are addressed in this Call; two in the Beaufort Sea (sales 209 and 217) and two in the Chukchi Sea (sales 212 and 221). (Sale 193 in the Chukchi Sea is a carryover from the Program for 2002-2007 and is not addressed by this Call.) Simultaneously with this Call, MMS is giving notice of its intent to prepare a multiple-sale EIS for the four sales.

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 new title of this information collection request (ICR) is ``30 CFR Part 218, Collection of Monies Due the Federal Government.'' The form associated with this collection is Form MMS-4425, Designation Form for Royalty Payment Responsibility. The previous title of this ICR was ``30 CFR Part 218, Subpart AGeneral Provisions, 218.42 Cross- lease netting in calculation of late-payment interest; Subpart BOil and Gas, General, 218.52 How does a lessee designate a Designee? (Form MMS-4425, Designation Form for Royalty Payment Responsibility) and 218.53 Recoupment of overpayments on Indian mineral leases; and Subpart ESolid MineralsGeneral, 218.203 Recoupment of overpayments on Indian mineral leases.'' We revised this ICR in order to enable program-wide review of all information collections for solid minerals and geothermal resources. We removed 218.203, which relates to solid minerals, from this ICR and included 218.203 in the solid minerals ICR 1010-0120 (expires October 31, 2007).

The MMS announces the availability of the Proposed Notice of Sale for Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193 in the Chukchi Sea. This Notice is published pursuant to 30 CFR 256.29(c) as a matter of information to the public. With regard to oil and gas leasing on the OCS, the Secretary of the Interior, pursuant to section 19 of the OCS Lands Act, provides the affected States the opportunity to review the Proposed Notice. The Proposed Notice sets forth the proposed terms and conditions of the sale, including minimum bids, royalty rates, and rentals.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has issued a Record of Decision for OCS Western GOM Lease Sale 204 (August 2007). As part of the decision process, MMS published in April 2007 a final environmental impact statement (EIS) on the 2007-2012 Western and Central GOM oil and gas leasing proposals, including Sale 204. In preparing this decision, MMS has considered alternatives to the proposed actions, the impacts of Sale 204 as presented in the EIS, and all comments received throughout the EIS-process. Availability: To obtain a copy of the Record of Decision and Final EIS, you may contact the Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Public Information Office (MS 5034), 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Room 114, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 (1-800-200- GULF). An electronic copy of the Record of Decision and Final EIS are available at the MMS's Internet Web site at: https://www.gomr.mms.gov/ homepg/regulate/environ/nepa/nepaprocess.html.

The MMS has prepared a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) on a tentatively scheduled 2008 oil and gas leasing proposal (Sale 224) in the Eastern GOM, off the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. As mandated in the recently enacted Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-432, December 20, 2006), the MMS shall offer a portion of the ``181 Area,'' located in the Eastern Planning Area, more than 125 miles from Florida for oil and gas leasing. The proposed action involves 130 tracts.