[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 241 (Thursday, December 14, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78184-78185]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-31779]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Outer Continental Shelf, Central Gulf of Mexico, Oil and Gas 
Lease Sale

ACTION: Amendment to proposed notice of sale 178.

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    The Minerals Management Service made available the proposed Notice 
of Sale for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 178 in 
the Central Gulf of Mexico through the Notice of Availability published 
in the Federal Register at 65 FR 71119 on Wednesday, November 29, 2000. 
This Notice amends the area identified in the proposed Notice of Sale 
as available for leasing.
    On October 18, 2000, the United States Senate gave advice and 
consent to ratification of the treaty establishing the continental 
shelf boundary between the United States and Mexico in the area beyond 
the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) known as the Western Gap.

[[Page 78185]]

On November 28, 2000, the Senate of Mexico also approved the treaty. 
Given that the two countries will likely exchange instruments of 
ratification prior to the proposed sale date, the MMS proposes to offer 
in this sale blocks beyond the U.S. EEZ in the Western Gap, with the 
exception of blocks and portions of blocks in the 1.4 mile buffer area 
along the boundary established by the treaty.
    Blocks beyond the U.S. EEZ in the northern portion of the Western 
Gap are now proposed to be available for leasing in the proposed sale 
except for:
     Blocks or portions of blocks beyond the U.S. EEZ in the 
northern portion of the Western Gap which are in the 1.4 nautical mile 
buffer zone north of the continental shelf boundary between the United 
States and Mexico. Both the zone and the boundary were established by 
the ``Treaty Between The Government Of The United States Of America And 
The Government Of The United Mexican States On The Delimitation Of The 
Continental Shelf In The Western Gulf Of Mexico Beyond 200 Nautical 
Miles'' signed by the United States and Mexico on June 9, 2000, and to 
which the U.S. Senate gave advice and consent to ratification on 
October 18, 2000, and for which the Mexican Senate gave its approval on 
November 28, 2000.
    The following blocks lie wholly within the 1.4 nautical mile buffer 
and are deferred from this sale: Amery Terrace (Area NG15-09), 280, 
281, 318 through 320, 355 through 359.
    The portions of the following blocks lying within the 1.4 nautical 
mile buffer are deferred from this sale: Amery Terrace (Area NG15-09), 
235 through 238, 273 through 279, 309 through 317.
    The available acreage in these blocks will be provided in the 
``Unleased Split Blocks and Unleased Acreage of Blocks with Aliquots 
and Irregular Portions Under Lease'' document to be included in the 
Final Sale Notice Package. Also, Supplemental Official OCS Block 
Diagrams for these blocks are available from the Public Information 
Unit, Gulf of Mexico Region, Minerals Management Service, 1201 Elmwood 
Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394. Telephone: (504) 
736-2519. These diagrams can also be found on the MMS Homepage Address 
on the Internet: http://www.mms.gov. For additional information, please 
call Mr. Charles Hill (504) 736-2795.
    Blocks or portions of blocks beyond the U.S. EEZ are offered in 
Sale 178 consistent with U.S. law and the provisions of the 1982 Law of 
the Sea Convention. The Convention balances the extension of coastal 
Nation control over the natural resources of the continental margin 
seaward of 200 miles with a modest obligation on such Nations to share 
revenues from successful mineral development seaward of 200 miles. The 
Convention provides that payments by the coastal Nations subject to it 
would not be required during exploration or the first 5 years of 
production, and once instituted, would be at the rate of 1 percent of 
the value or volume of production beginning in the sixth year of such 
production, increasing at a rate of 1 percentage point per year to a 
maximum of 7 percent in the 12th year and thereafter. It has been 
expected that payments would come from normal royalties already paid by 
the industry to the United States Government. The question of what, if 
any, effect the Law of the Sea Convention revenue sharing requirements 
and the methods and procedures of paying any international obligations 
of the U. S. Government from royalty payments to the United States 
would have on royalty suspension volumes is under review. Once 
determinations are made on this issue, specific terms and conditions 
for leasing blocks in this area will be specified as soon as possible, 
but no later than in the final Notice of Sale.
    All other terms and conditions of the proposed sale remain the same 
as described in the proposed Notice of Sale.

    Dated: December 8, 2000.
Thomas R. Kitsos,
Acting Director, Minerals Management Service.

    Dated: December 8, 2000.
Sylvia V. Baca,
Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. 00-31779 Filed 12-13-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P