Minerals Management Service – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice provides the official MMS documentation of which Gulf of Mexico price thresholds have been exceeded by annual market prices for oil or gas, by lease vintage, for calendar year 2006. This notice also explains in detail how MMS calculates the annual oil and gas prices and applicable price thresholds used to determine whether royalty relief applies in calendar year 2006 for our various deepwater and deep depth royalty relief programs.

The proposed federal action addressed in this FEIS (OCS EIS/EA MMS 2007-026) is to offer for lease areas in the Chukchi Sea Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) that might contain recoverable oil and gas resources. This lease sale would provide qualified bidders the opportunity to bid on certain blocks in the Chukchi Sea OCS to gain conditional rights to explore, develop, and produce oil and natural gas. This FEIS is the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis to enable the MMS to make informed decisions on the configuration of the lease sale and the applicable mitigation measures. In the FEIS, the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts of the sale, including estimated exploration and development and production activities related to the sale, on the physical, biological, and human environments in the Chukchi Sea area are analyzed. The FEIS also provides NEPA evaluation for exploration activities in the Chukchi Sea, including seismic survey geophysical permitting (30 CFR part 251), ancillary activities (30 CFR 250.207), and exploration plans (30 CFR 250.214). In addition, the FEIS provides information that the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) may possibly use for issuance of Incidental Harassment Authorizations to the seismic-survey industry to take marine mammals by harassment, incidental to conducting prelease and ancillary on-lease oil and gas seismic surveys in the Chukchi Sea. To address its NEPA responsibilities, the NMFS is a cooperating agency (as that term is defined in 40 CFR 1501.6).

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.

MMS is proposing to amend its deep gas royalty relief regulations to incorporate statutory changes enacted in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This proposed rule would provide additional royalty relief for certain wells on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) leases in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). It would also extend the applicability of existing deep gas royalty relief regulatory provisions to more OCS leases. MMS is also proposing amendments to discretionary royalty relief provisions and associated definitions to extend the applicability of certain royalty relief to leases offshore of Alaska.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has prepared a programmatic EA and a FONSI for the implementation of the CIAP. This EA was prepared to assist agency planning and decisionmaking in future assessment of individual projects (40 CFR 1501.3(b)). The programmatic EA is available on the MMS Web site at: https://www.mms.gov/offshore/ CIAPmain.htm.

This document makes minor technical changes to regulations that were published in various Federal Register documents and are codified in the Code of Federal Regulations. These changes will correct form names in 30 CFR parts 250 and 251, as well as various citations and typographical errors in 30 CFR parts 203, 250, 251, and 260.

The OCS Scientific Committee will meet at the Hilton New Orleans/St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, Louisiana.

This notice announces the May 10 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 presentations on the MRM Financial Management, Audit and Compliance, and Enforcement Programs. Updates will be provided by the Federal Oil and Gas Valuation, Oil and Gas Royalty Reporting, Coal, Indian Oil Valuation, and Royalty Management 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.

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, 2007 through October 31, 2007. The List of Restricted Joint Bidders published in the Federal Register December 5, 2006 covered the period November 1, 2006 through April 30, 2007.

This final rule requires lessees of Federal oil and gas leases in the OCS to provide information on how they will conduct their proposed activities in a manner consistent with provisions of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). It identifies environmental, monitoring, and mitigation information that lessees must submit with plans for exploration and development and production. This final rulemaking specifies what information the MMS needs to ensure compliance with the OCSLA, the ESA, and the MMPA. The final rule will help assure that lessees conduct their activities in a manner consistent with the provisions of the ESA and the MMPA.

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 256, ``Leasing of Sulphur or Oil and Gas in the Outer Continental Shelf.'' This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.

The MMS will hold OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sale 202 on April 18, 2007, in accordance with provisions of the OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331-1356, as amended), the implementing regulations (30 CFR part 256), and the OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2002-2007.

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.

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 title of this information collection request (ICR) is ``30 CFR Part 206Product Valuation, Subparts F and J; Part 210Forms and Reports, Subparts E and H; and Part 218Collection of Royalties, Rentals, Bonuses and Other Monies Due the Federal Government, Subpart E.'' We changed the title of this ICR to clarify the regulatory language we are covering under 30 CFR parts 206, 210, and 218 and to reflect OMB consolidation approval of two solid mineral-related 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); and 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). In the two ICRs, much of the general information was repeated and cross referenced. This consolidated ICR 1010-0120 eliminates that duplication of effort and redundancy of data and also provides for review of all solids and geothermal information collection requirements on a MMS Solids and Geothermal Compliance and Asset Management program- wide basis. The current ICR does not expire until October 31, 2007 and has a total of 1,751 burden hours as of OMB Notice of Change dated December 9, 2005, which consolidated the burden hours from ICRs 1010- 0074 and 1010-0120.

The MMS is required to review the maximum daily civil penalty assessment allowable under 43 U.S.C. 1350 at least once every 3 years for the purpose of adjusting this amount in accordance with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor. The same review and adjustment process is required every 4 years for the maximum daily civil penalty assessment allowable under 33 U.S.C. 2716a. The intended effect is for punitive assessments to keep up with inflation.

The OCS Policy Committee will meet at the Loews Annapolis Hotel in Annapolis, Maryland.

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 E, ``Oil and Gas Well-Completion Operations.''

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 F, Oil and Gas Well-Workover Operations.''

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) announces the availability of the draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP). This EA will assist agency planning by facilitating the establishment of procedures for the disbursement of CIAP funds and providing an opportunity to involve the public, States, and coastal political subdivisions (CPSs). Specifically, this EA generally describes the potential environmental impacts of CIAP projects, provides comprehensive guidance to the States and CPSs for submitting the documentation needed to comply with relevant environmental laws at the time they request funding for proposed projects, and compiles information that may be appropriate to include in environmental compliance documents prepared for each proposed project.

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) published final regulations on September 13, 2004 (69 FR 55076), codified at 30 CFR 204.200-215, to provide accounting and auditing relief for marginal Federal oil and gas properties. The rule requires MMS to publish in the Federal Register the decisions of the States concerned to allow or not to allow one or both forms of relief in their State. As required in the rule, MMS provided states receiving a portion of the Federal royalties with a list of qualifying marginal Federal oil and gas properties located in their State so that each affected State could decide whether to participate in one or both relief options. This notice provides the decisions by the States concerned to allow one or both types of relief.

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 Q, ``Decommissioning Activities.''

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), MMS is notifying the public that it has submitted to OMB an information collection request (ICR) to renew approval of 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 are titled: ``Notices to Lessees and Operators (NTLs)Implementation of Seismic Survey Mitigation Measures and Protected Species Observer Program; Vessel Strike Avoidance and Injured/Dead Protected Species Reporting; and, Marine Trash and Debris Awareness and Elimination.'' This notice also provides the public a second opportunity to comment on the paperwork burden of these regulatory requirements.