[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 90 (Tuesday, May 11, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25364-25365]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11843]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Outer Continental Shelf: Operations, Rescission of Certain 
Letters and Notices to Lessees and Operators (LTLs and NTLs)

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 25365]]

SUMMARY: The MMS periodically issues letters and notices to lessees and 
operators of oil and gas or sulphur leases in the Outer Continental 
Shelf (OCS), commonly referred to as LTLs and NTLs. This Federal 
Register notice informs you that we are in the process of reviewing all 
of the regional LTLs and officially rescinding certain ones. We are 
also rescinding one NTL.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 11, 1999.

ADDRESSES: You may obtain copies of NTLs (and LTLs for the Gulf of 
Mexico OCS Region) through our website at WWW.MMS.GOV or by contacting 
the National office or the OCS Region that issued the document at the 
following addresses:

National Office

    Minerals Management Service, Engineering and Operations Division, 
381 Elden Street, Herndon, VA 20170-4817, Attention: Ms. Alexis London; 
Telephone (703) 787-1600.

Alaska OCS Region

    Minerals Management Service, 949 East 36th Avenue, Room 308, 
Anchorage, AK 99508-4363, Attention: Ms. Christine Huffaker; Telephone 
(907) 271-6621.

Gulf of Mexico OCS Region

    Minerals Management Service, 1201 Elmwood Park Blvd., New Orleans, 
LA 70123-2394, Attention: Mr. Michael Dorner; Telephone (504) 736-2599.

Pacific OCS Region

    Minerals Management Service, 770 Paseo Camarillo, Camarillo, CA 
93010-6064, Attention: Ms. Freddie Mason; Telephone (805) 389-7566.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexis London, Engineering and 
Operations Division; Telephone (703) 787-1600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MMS is responsible for oil and gas or 
sulphur operations in the OCS to ensure operational safety and 
protection of the environment. In addition to our regulations, we issue 
NTLs to provide guidance and to further clarify, interpret, or describe 
regulatory requirements on a national or regional basis. In the past, 
our regional offices have also issued LTLs for this purpose or to 
communicate information to OCS lessees and operators.
    Last year we reviewed all of the active NTLs to determine if they 
were still viable. As a result, we rescinded a number of NTLs in a 
Federal Register notice published on November 10, 1998 (63 FR 63071). 
We updated and reissued most of the remaining NTLs to reflect current 
technologies and to correct regulatory citations.
    We are subjecting the regional LTLs to the same process. Our 
initial review has identified numerous LTLs that we can immediately 
rescind. Throughout the year, we will update the remaining LTLs that 
need to remain active. However, when we reissue them, they will be 
converted to NTLs. Once we complete this process, all LTLs will be 
eliminated. We will provide guidance and supplementary information 
through the use of NTLs only. This should provide a more uniform, 
consistent approach for the benefit of the users in keeping track of 
our guidance documents and informational issuances.
    Effective with the publication of this notice, we are officially 
rescinding one NTL and a number of LTLs that are no longer current, 
have served their purpose, or because recently revised regulations and 
policies have eliminated the need for them. All other NTLs and LTLs 
that are currently in effect will remain in force until superseded or 
rescinded.
    For the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region the following are rescinded or 
were recently superseded:

    NTL 94-02, 2/24/94, Air Emissions Reporting Requirements
LTL, 5/30/96, Requirements for Submittal of Documents Under 30 CFR 250, 
Subpart I, Platforms and Structures (Superseded by NTL 99-G05)
LTL, 1/26/96, Transfer of Platform Records for Leases Reassigned
LTL, 12/7/95, Quality Assurance and Performance of Safety and Pollution 
Prevention Equipment
LTL, 10/30/95, Submittal of Logs or Charts of Electrical, Radioactive, 
Sonic, and Other Well-logging Operations (Superseded by NTL 97-06)
LTL, 2/13/95, Exploratory Well Requirements on 8-Year Leases
LTL, 11/17/94, Safety & Environmental Management Program (SEMP)
LTL, 4/14/94, Letter of Concurrence by Lessee of Record
LTL, 1/28/94, Policy Change Concerning the Overboard Disposal of 
Produced Solids Containing NORM
LTL, 1/14/94, Policy Concerning the Testing of Blowout Preventers 
(BOP's)
LTL, 1/14/94, Implementation of New Reporting Forms
LTL, 11/5/93, Surety Bond Requirements (Superseded by NTL 99-604)
LTL, 11/16/92, Providing Crude Oil, Condensate, and Natural Gas Liquids 
to Small and Independent Refiners
LTL, 12/11/91, Clarification of NORM Requirements (Superseded by NTL 
96-03)
LTL, 6/13/91, Approvals to Obtain Prior to Commencing Well Operations
LTL, 4/25/91, Mail Stop Numbers for Production and Development
LTL, 11/20/90, Disposal of Solids Containing Naturally Occurring 
Radioactive Materials
LTL, 10/1/90, Submission of Wellbore & Directional Surveys (Superseded 
by NTL 97-06)
LTL, 5/14/90, Trash and Debris Washing Ashore
LTL, 5/8/90, Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs)
LTL, 11/27/89, Release of Geological Data and Analyzed Geological 
Information
LTL, 6/7/89, Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) Information Requests
    For the Pacific OCS Region the following are rescinded:
LTL, 6/5/96, Crane Operations
LTL, 9/19/95, Quality Assurance Certification Repair Parts
LTL, 11/1/94, Pressure Safety Devices Test Tolerance
LTL, 8/17/94, Helideck Conditions
LTL, 5/6/94, Supplemental Bonds
LTL, 3/19/91, Requirements for a Pressure Safety Valve (PSV) on Flare/
Vent Scrubbers

    Please note that the Alaska OCS Region has no LTLs or NTLs 
currently in effect.

    Dated: April 30, 1999.
Carolita U. Kallaur,
Associate Director for Offshore Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. 99-11843 Filed 5-10-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-U