83 FR 32903 - Gulf of Mexico, Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Oil and Gas Lease Sale 251
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 136 (July 16, 2018)
| Page Range | 32903-32905 | |
| FR Document | 2018-15181 |
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is announcing the availability of a Record of Decision for proposed Gulf of Mexico (GOM) regionwide oil and gas Lease Sale 251. This Record of Decision identifies BOEM's selected alternative for proposed Lease Sale 251, which is analyzed in the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf Lease Sale: Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement 2018 (2018 GOM Supplemental EIS).
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 136 (Monday, July 16, 2018)] [Notices] [Pages 32903-32905] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2018-15181] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Ocean Energy Management [Docket No. BOEM-2018-0035] Gulf of Mexico, Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Oil and Gas Lease Sale 251 AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability of a Record of Decision. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [[Page 32904]] SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is announcing the availability of a Record of Decision for proposed Gulf of Mexico (GOM) regionwide oil and gas Lease Sale 251. This Record of Decision identifies BOEM's selected alternative for proposed Lease Sale 251, which is analyzed in the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf Lease Sale: Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement 2018 (2018 GOM Supplemental EIS). ADDRESSES: The Record of Decision is available on BOEM's website at http://www.boem.gov/nepaprocess/. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For more information on the Record of Decision, you may contact Mr. Greg Kozlowski, Deputy Regional Supervisor, Office of Environment, by telephone at 504-736-2512 or by email at greg.kozlowski@boem.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the 2018 GOM Supplemental EIS, BOEM evaluated five alternatives in regard to proposed Lease Sale 251. These alternatives are summarized below: Alternative A--Regionwide OCS Lease Sale: This is BOEM's preferred alternative. This alternative would allow for a proposed GOM regionwide lease sale encompassing all three planning areas: The Western Planning Area (WPA); the Central Planning Area (CPA); and a small portion of the Eastern Planning Area (EPA) not under Congressional moratorium. Under this alternative, BOEM would offer for lease all available unleased blocks within the proposed regionwide lease sale area for oil and gas operations with the following exceptions: Whole and portions of blocks deferred by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006; blocks that are adjacent to or beyond the United States' Exclusive Economic Zone in the area known as the northern portion of the Eastern Gap; whole and partial blocks within the current boundary of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary; and blocks where the lease status is currently under appeal. The unavailable blocks are listed in Section I of the Final Notice of Sale for proposed Lease Sale 251 and at www.boem.gov/Sale-251. The proposed regionwide lease sale area encompasses about 91.93 million acres (ac). As of June 2018, approximately 78.2 million ac of the proposed regionwide lease sale area are available for lease. As described in the Final 2018 GOM Supplemental EIS, the estimated amounts of resources projected to be leased, discovered, developed, and produced as a result of the proposed regionwide lease sale are between 0.211 and 1.118 billion barrels of oil (BBO) and 0.547 and 4.424 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas. Alternative B--Regionwide OCS Lease Sale Excluding Available Unleased Blocks in the WPA Portion of the Proposed Lease Sale Area: This alternative would offer for lease all available unleased blocks within the CPA and EPA portions of the proposed lease sale area for oil and gas operations, with the following exceptions: Whole and portions of blocks deferred by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006; and blocks that are adjacent to or beyond the United States' Exclusive Economic Zone in the area known as the northern portion of the Eastern Gap. The proposed CPA/EPA lease sale area encompasses about 63.35 million ac. As of February 2018, approximately 51.2 million ac of the proposed CPA/EPA lease sale area are available for lease. The estimated amounts of resources projected to be leased, discovered, developed, and produced as a result of the proposed lease sale under Alternative B are 0.185-0.970 BBO and 0.441-3.672 Tcf of gas. Alternative C--Regionwide OCS Lease Sale Excluding Available Unleased Blocks in the CPA and EPA Portions of the Proposed Lease Sale Area: This alternative would offer for lease all available unleased blocks within the WPA portion of the proposed lease sale area for oil and gas operations, with the following exception: Whole and partial blocks within the current boundary of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. The proposed WPA lease sale area encompasses about 28.58 million ac. As of February 2018, approximately 26.2 million ac of the proposed WPA lease sale area are available for lease. The estimated amounts of resources projected to be leased, discovered, developed, and produced as a result of the proposed lease sale under Alternative C are 0.026-0.148 BBO and 0.106-0.752 Tcf of gas. Alternative D--Alternative A, B, or C, with the Option to Exclude Available Unleased Blocks Subject to the Topographic Features, Live Bottom (Pinnacle Trend), and/or Blocks South of Baldwin County, Alabama, Stipulations: This alternative could be combined with any of the Action alternatives above (i.e., Alternative A, B, or C) and would allow the flexibility to offer leases under any alternative with additional exclusions. Under Alternative D, the decisionmaker could exclude from leasing any available unleased blocks subject to any one and/or a combination of the following stipulations: Topographic Features Stipulation; Live Bottom Stipulation; and Blocks South of Baldwin County, Alabama, Stipulation (not applicable to Alternative C). This alternative considered blocks subject to these stipulations because these areas have been emphasized in scoping, can be geographically defined, and adequate information exists regarding their ecological importance and sensitivity to OCS oil- and gas-related activities. A total of 207 blocks within the CPA and 160 blocks in the WPA are affected by the Topographic Features Stipulation. There are currently no identified topographic features protected under this stipulation in the EPA. The Live Bottom Stipulation covers the pinnacle trend area of the CPA, affecting a total of 74 blocks. Under Alternative D, the number of blocks that would become unavailable for lease represents only a small percentage of the total number of blocks to be offered under Alternative A, B, or C (<4%, even if blocks subject to all three stipulations were excluded). Therefore, Alternative D could reduce offshore infrastructure and activities in the pinnacle trend area, but Alternative D also shifts the location of offshore infrastructure and activities farther from these sensitive zones and would not lead to a reduction in overall offshore infrastructure and activities. Alternative E--No Action: This alternative is not holding proposed regionwide Lease Sale 251 and is identified as the environmentally preferred alternative. Lease Stipulations--The 2018 GOM Supplemental EIS describes all lease stipulations, which are included in the Final Notice of Sale Package. In the Record of Decision for the 2017-2022 Five-Year Program, the Secretary of the Interior required the protection of biologically sensitive underwater features in all Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sales as programmatic mitigation; therefore, the application of the Topographic Features Stipulation and Live Bottom Stipulation are being adopted and applied for applicable designated lease blocks in Lease Sale 251. The additional eight lease stipulations for proposed regionwide Lease Sale 251 are the Military Areas Stipulation; the Evacuation Stipulation; the Coordination Stipulation; the Blocks South of Baldwin County, Alabama, Stipulation; the Protected Species Stipulation; the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Royalty Payment Stipulation; the Below Seabed Operations Stipulation; and the Stipulation on the Agreement between the United States of America and the United Mexican States Concerning [[Page 32905]] Transboundary Hydrocarbon Reservoirs in the Gulf of Mexico. These eight stipulations will be added as lease terms where applicable and will be enforceable as part of the lease. Appendix B of the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2017-2022; Gulf of Mexico Lease Sales 249, 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 256, 257, 259, and 261; Final Multisale Environmental Impact Statement provides a list and description of standard post-lease conditions of approval that may be required by BOEM or the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement as a result of plan and permit review processes for the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region. After careful consideration, BOEM has selected the preferred alternative (Alternative A) in the 2018 GOM Supplemental EIS for proposed Lease Sale 251. BOEM's selection of the preferred alternative meets the purpose and need for the proposed action, as identified in the 2018 GOM Supplemental EIS, and provides for orderly resource development with protection of the human, marine, and coastal environments while also ensuring that the public receives an equitable return for these resources and that free-market competition is maintained. Authority: This Notice of Availability of a Record of Decision is published pursuant to the regulations (40 CFR part 1505) implementing the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). Dated: July 11, 2018. Walter D. Cruickshank, Acting Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. [FR Doc. 2018-15181 Filed 7-13-18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
![Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 136 / Monday, July 16, 2018 / Notices 32903
qualification number, the map name/ deposit to the Office of Natural BOEM’s bid adequacy procedures,
number, and the block number(s) of the Resources Revenue (ONRR) equal to which are available at http://
bid(s) to be withdrawn. The withdrawal one-fifth of the bonus bid amount for www.boem.gov/Oil-and-Gas-Energy-
request must be executed in each such bid. A copy of the notification Program/Leasing/Regional-Leasing/
conformance with the BOEM of the high bidder’s one-fifth bonus bid Gulf-of-Mexico-Region/Bid-Adequacy-
qualification records. The name and amount may be obtained on the BOEM Procedures.aspx.
title of the authorized signatory must be website at http://www.boem.gov/Sale-
typed under the signature block on the Lease Award
251 under the heading ‘‘Notification of
withdrawal request. The BOEM Gulf of EFT 1/5 Bonus Liability’’ after 1:00 p.m. BOEM requires each bidder awarded
Mexico RD, or the RD’s designee, will on the day of the sale. All payments a lease to:
indicate their approval by signing and must be deposited electronically into an (1) Execute all copies of the lease
dating the withdrawal request. interest-bearing account in the U.S. (Form BOEM–2005 (February 2017), as
Treasury by 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time (10 amended);
Bid Rounding
a.m. Central Time) the day following the (2) Pay by EFT the balance of the
Minimum bonus bid calculations, bid reading (no exceptions). Account bonus bid amount and the first year’s
including rounding, for all blocks are information is provided in the rental for each lease issued in
shown in the document ‘‘List of Blocks ‘‘Instructions for Making Electronic accordance with the requirements of 30
Available for Leasing’’ included in the Funds Transfer Bonus Payments’’ found CFR 218.155 and 556.520(a); and
Final NOS package. The bonus bid on the BOEM website identified above. (3) Provide to BOEM the bonding
amount must be stated in whole dollars. BOEM requires bidders to use EFT required by 30 CFR part 556, subpart I.
If the acreage of a block contains a procedures for payment of one-fifth ONRR requests that bidders use only
decimal figure, then prior to calculating bonus bid deposits for GOM Region- one transaction to pay the balance of the
the minimum bonus bid, BOEM wide Sale 251 following the detailed bonus bid amount and the first year’s
rounded up to the next whole acre. The instructions contained on the ONRR rental. When ONRR receives such
appropriate minimum rate per acre was Payment Information web page at http:// payment, the bidder awarded the lease
then applied to the whole (rounded up) www.onrr.gov/ReportPay/ may not request a refund of the balance
acreage. The bonus bid amount must be Payments.htm. Acceptance of a deposit bonus bid amount or first year’s rental
greater than or equal to the minimum does not constitute, and will not be payment.
bonus bid in whole dollars. construed as, acceptance of any bid on
XI. Delay of Sale
IX. Forms behalf of the United States.
The BOEM Gulf of Mexico RD has the
The Final NOS package includes Withdrawal of Blocks discretion to change any date, time,
instructions, samples, and/or the The United States reserves the right to and/or location specified in the Final
preferred format for the following items. withdraw any block from this lease sale NOS package in the case of an event that
BOEM strongly encourages bidders to prior to issuance of a written acceptance the BOEM Gulf of Mexico RD deems
use the recommended formats. If of a bid for the block. may interfere with the carrying out of a
bidders use another format, they are fair and orderly lease sale process. Such
responsible for including all the Acceptance, Rejection, or Return of Bids
events could include, but are not
information specified for each item in The United States reserves the right to limited to, natural disasters (e.g.,
the Final NOS package. reject any and all bids. No bid will be earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods),
(1) Bid Form accepted, and no lease for any block wars, riots, acts of terrorism, fires,
(2) Sample Completed Bid will be awarded to any bidder, unless: strikes, civil disorder, or other events of
(3) Sample Bid Envelope (1) The bidder has complied with all a similar nature. In case of such events,
(4) Sample Bid Mailing Envelope requirements of the Final NOS, bidders should call (504) 736–0557, or
(5) Telephone Numbers/Addresses of including those set forth in the access the BOEM website at http://
Bidders Form documents contained in the Final NOS
(6) GDIS Form www.boem.gov, for information
package, and applicable regulations; regarding any changes.
(7) GDIS Envelope Form (2) The bid is the highest valid bid;
and Dated: July 11, 2018.
X. The Lease Sale
(3) The amount of the bid has been Walter D. Cruickshank,
Bid Opening and Reading determined to be adequate by the Acting Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Sealed bids received in response to authorized officer. Management.
the Final NOS will be opened at the Any bid submitted that does not [FR Doc. 2018–15180 Filed 7–13–18; 8:45 am]
place, date, and hour specified under conform to the requirements of the Final BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P
the DATES and ADDRESSES sections of the NOS and Final NOS package, OCSLA,
Final NOS. The venue will not be open or other applicable statute or regulation
to the public. Instead, the bid opening will be rejected and returned to the DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
will be available for the public to view bidder. The U.S. Department of Justice
on BOEM’s website at www.boem.gov and the Federal Trade Commission will Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
via live-streaming. The opening of the review the results of the lease sale for
bids is for the sole purpose of publicly antitrust issues prior to the acceptance [Docket No. BOEM–2018–0035]
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
announcing and recording the bids of bids and issuance of leases.
Gulf of Mexico, Outer Continental Shelf
received; no bids will be accepted or
Bid Adequacy Review Procedures for (OCS), Oil and Gas Lease Sale 251
rejected at that time.
GOM Region-Wide Sale 251
Bonus Bid Deposit for Apparent High AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy
To ensure that the U.S. Government Management, Interior.
Bids receives a fair return for the conveyance
ACTION: Notice of availability of a
Each bidder submitting an apparent of leases from this sale, high bids will
Record of Decision.
high bid must submit a bonus bid be evaluated in accordance with
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![Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 136 / Monday, July 16, 2018 / Notices 32905
Transboundary Hydrocarbon Reservoirs of citric acid and certain citrate salts Investigation Nos. 731–TA–1374–1376
in the Gulf of Mexico. These eight from Belgium, Colombia, and Thailand (Final).
stipulations will be added as lease terms that have been found by the U.S. By order of the Commission.
where applicable and will be Department of Commerce (‘‘Commerce’’) Issued: July 10, 2018.
enforceable as part of the lease. to be sold in the United States at less Lisa Barton,
Appendix B of the Gulf of Mexico OCS than fair value (‘‘LTFV’’).2 3 4 Secretary to the Commission.
Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2017–2022;
Background [FR Doc. 2018–15067 Filed 7–13–18; 8:45 am]
Gulf of Mexico Lease Sales 249, 250,
BILLING CODE 7020–02–P
251, 252, 253, 254, 256, 257, 259, and The Commission, pursuant to section
261; Final Multisale Environmental 735(b) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1673d(b)),
Impact Statement provides a list and instituted these investigations effective
description of standard post-lease DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
June 2, 2017, following receipt of a
conditions of approval that may be petition filed with the Commission and Drug Enforcement Administration
required by BOEM or the Bureau of Commerce by Archer Daniels Midland
Safety and Environmental Enforcement Company, Decatur, Illinois; Cargill, [Docket No. DEA–392]
as a result of plan and permit review Incorporated, Minneapolis, Minnesota;
processes for the Gulf of Mexico OCS Bulk Manufacturer of Controlled
and Tate & Lyle Ingredients Americas,
Region. Substances Application: Siegfried
LLC, Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The
After careful consideration, BOEM USA, LLC
Commission scheduled the final phase
has selected the preferred alternative of the investigations following ACTION: Notice of application.
(Alternative A) in the 2018 GOM notification of a preliminary
Supplemental EIS for proposed Lease determination by Commerce that DATES: Registered bulk manufacturers of
Sale 251. BOEM’s selection of the imports of citric acid and certain citrate the affected basic classes, and
preferred alternative meets the purpose salts from Belgium, Colombia, and applicants therefore, may file written
and need for the proposed action, as Thailand were being sold at LTFV comments on or objections to the
identified in the 2018 GOM within the meaning of section 733(b) of issuance of the proposed registration on
Supplemental EIS, and provides for the Act (19 U.S.C. 1673b(b)). Notice of or before September 14, 2018.
orderly resource development with the scheduling of the final phase of the
protection of the human, marine, and ADDRESSES: Written comments should
Commission’s investigation and of a be sent to: Drug Enforcement
coastal environments while also public hearing to be held in connection
ensuring that the public receives an Administration, Attention: DEA Federal
therewith was given by posting copies Register Representative/DRW, 8701
equitable return for these resources and of the notice in the Office of the
that free-market competition is Morrissette Drive, Springfield, Virginia
Secretary, U.S. International Trade 22152.
maintained. Commission, Washington, DC, and by
Authority: This Notice of Availability of a publishing the notice in the Federal SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Record of Decision is published pursuant to Register of February 2, 2018 (83 FR Attorney General has delegated his
the regulations (40 CFR part 1505) 4922). The hearing was held in authority under the Controlled
implementing the provisions of the National Washington, DC, on May 14, 2018, and Substances Act to the Administrator of
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as all persons who requested the the Drug Enforcement Administration
amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). opportunity were permitted to appear in (DEA), 28 CFR 0.100(b). Authority to
Dated: July 11, 2018. person or by counsel. exercise all necessary functions with
Walter D. Cruickshank, respect to the promulgation and
The Commission made these
Acting Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy implementation of 21 CFR part 1301,
determinations pursuant to section
Management. incident to the registration of
735(b) of the Act (19 U.S.C. 1673d(b)).
[FR Doc. 2018–15181 Filed 7–13–18; 8:45 am] manufacturers, distributors, dispensers,
It completed and filed its
importers, and exporters of controlled
BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P determinations in these investigations
substances (other than final orders in
on July 10, 2018. The views of the
connection with suspension, denial, or
Commission are contained in USITC
revocation of registration) has been
INTERNATIONAL TRADE Publication 4799 (July 2018), entitled
redelegated to the Assistant
COMMISSION Citric Acid and Certain Citrate Salts
Administrator of the DEA Diversion
from Belgium, Colombia, and Thailand:
[Investigation No. 731–TA–1374–1376 Control Division (‘‘Assistant
(Final)] Administrator’’) pursuant to section 7 of
2 Citric Acid and Certain Citrate Salts from
Thailand: Affirmative Final Determination of Sales
28 CFR part 0, appendix to subpart R.
Citric Acid and Certain Citrate Salts In accordance with 21 CFR
at Less Than Fair Value and Final Affirmative
From Belgium, Colombia, and Thailand Determination of Critical Circumstances in Part, 82 1301.33(a), this is notice that on
FR 25998, June 5, 2018; Citric Acid and Certain November 2, 2017, Siegfried USA, LLC,
Determination Citrate Salts from Belgium: Affirmative Final
Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, 82
33 Industrial Park Rd., Pennsville, NJ
On the basis of the record 1 developed 08070 applied to be registered as a bulk
FR 26001, June 5, 2018; Citric Acid and Certain
in the subject investigations, the United Citrate Salts from Colombia: Affirmative Final manufacturer for the basic classes of
States International Trade Commission Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and controlled substances:
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
(‘‘Commission’’) determines, pursuant Final Negative Determination of Critical
to the Tariff Act of 1930 (‘‘the Act’’), Circumstances, 82 FR 26002, June 5, 2018.
Controlled
that an industry in the United States is
3 The Commission also finds that imports subject Drug code Schedule
to Commerce’s affirmative critical circumstances
substance
materially injured by reason of imports determination are not likely to undermine seriously
the remedial effect of the antidumping duty order Gamma Hydroxy- 2010 I
1 Therecord is defined in sec. 207.2(f) of the on Thailand. butyric Acid.
Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 4 Commissioner Jason E. Kearns did not Dihydromorphine .... 9145 I
CFR 207.2(f)). participate in these investigations. Hydromorphinol ...... 9301 I
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Document Created: 2018-07-14 00:53:38
Document Modified: 2018-07-14 00:53:38
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Notice of availability of a Record of Decision. | |
| Contact | For more information on the Record of Decision, you may contact Mr. Greg Kozlowski, Deputy Regional Supervisor, Office of Environment, by telephone at 504-736-2512 or by email at [email protected] | |
| FR Citation | 83 FR 32903 |
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