AGENCY:

Marine Minerals Administration (MMA), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior.

ACTION:

Proposed rule; reopening of public comment period.

SUMMARY:

The Department of the Interior (DOI or Department), acting through MMA, is reopening the comment period for Proposed Rule: Oil and Gas and Sulfur Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf—Revisions to the Requirements for Exploratory Drilling on the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf, which was published in the Federal Register on August 6, 2026.

DATES:

The comment period for the proposed rule published August 6, 2026, at 91 FR 50998, is reopened. Comments should be received on or before December 14, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments on the rulemaking by any of the following methods. For comments on this proposed rule and associated documents, please use the Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 1082-AA05 as an identifier in your message.

• Federal eRulemaking Portal:www.regulations.gov. In the entry entitled, “Enter Keyword or ID,” enter BSEE-2026-0133, then click search. Follow the instructions to submit public comments and view supporting and related materials available for this rulemaking, including a plain language summary of the proposed rule as required by 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(4). The Bureaus may post all submitted comments. You may continue to submit information collection-related comments to the Federal eRulemaking Portal even though the opportunity to submit Paperwork Reduction Act-related comments on this proposed rule through the Office of Management and Budget's online portal is no longer available. However, please reference “OMB Control Number 1014-0036 (Revisions to the Requirements for Exploratory Drilling on the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf)” for Part 250 related comments or “OMB Control Number 1010-0151 (Revisions to the Requirements for Exploratory Drilling on the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf)” for Part 550 related comments, as applicable, in the subject line of your comments.
• Mail or hand-carry comments to the DOI, MMA: Attention: Regulations and Standards Branch, 45600 Woodland ( printed page 73193) Road, VAE-ORP, Sterling VA 20166. Please reference RIN 1082-AA05, “Oil and Gas and Sulfur Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf—Revisions to the Requirements for Exploratory Drilling on the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf,” in your comments, and include your name and return address.
• Email:regs@bsee.gov.
• Public Availability of Comments: Please be aware that MMA's practice is to make comments, including the names and addresses of individuals, available for public inspection. Before including your address, phone number, email address, and any personally identifiable information in your comment, please be advised that your entire comment, including your personally identifiable information, may be made publicly available at any time. For the Agency to consider withholding from disclosure your personally identifiable information, you must identify, in a cover letter, any information contained in your comments that, if released, would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of your personal privacy. You must also briefly describe any possible harmful consequences of the disclosure of information, such as embarrassment, injury, or other harm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For technical questions related to regulatory changes in Part 250, contact Bobby Kurtz, 805-384-6359. For technical questions related to regulatory changes in Part 550, contact Joel Immaraj, (907) 334-5238. For procedural questions contact Bryce Barlan, Regulations and Standards Branch, regs@bsee.gov, (703) 787-1126.