[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 60 (Thursday, March 28, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 14902-14903]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-7588]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

30 CFR Part 250

RIN 1010-AC85


Oil and Gas and Sulphur Operations in the Outer Continental 
Shelf--Fixed and Floating Platforms and Documents Incorporated by 
Reference

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Extension of comment period for proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: This document extends to May 28, 2002, the previous deadline 
of

[[Page 14903]]

March 27, 2002, for submitting comments on the proposed rule published 
December 27, 2001 (66 FR 66851) that addresses fixed and floating 
offshore platforms and floating production systems (FPSs). It replaces 
the previous extension of the comment period to March 27, 2002, that 
was issued on February 12, 2002 (67 FR 6453).

DATES: We will consider all comments received by May 28, 2002, and we 
may not fully consider comments received after May 28, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Mail or hand-carry written comments (three copies) to the 
Department of the Interior; Minerals Management Service; 381 Elden 
Street; Mail Stop 4024; Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817; Attention: Rules 
Processing Team.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carl Anderson, Engineering and 
Operations Division, at (703) 787-1608.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: MMS was asked to extend the deadline for 
submitting comments on the proposed regulations revising 30 CFR 250, 
subparts A, I, and J to incorporate by reference new documents 
governing fixed and floating platforms and new riser, stationkeeping, 
and pipeline technology. The request was based on the considerations 
that FPSs previously have not been directly addressed in 30 CFR 250 and 
that issues related to increasing the use of FPSs on the Outer 
Continental Shelf are complex. MMS agrees that more time is appropriate 
to ensure that all of the issues in this area are fully addressed.
    The FPSs are variously described as column-stabilized units (CSUs); 
floating production, storage and offloading facilities (referred to by 
industry as ``FPSOs''); tension-leg platforms (TLPs); spars, etc. We 
are also incorporating into our regulations a body of industry 
standards pertaining to platforms and FPSs that will save the public 
the costs of developing separate and, in some cases, unnecessarily 
duplicative government standards.

Public Comments Procedures:

    Our practice is to make comments, including names and home 
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular 
business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold 
their home address from the rulemaking record, which we will honor to 
the extent allowable by law. There may be circumstances in which we 
would withhold from the rulemaking record a respondent's identity, as 
allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, 
you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. 
However, we will not consider anonymous comments. We will make all 
submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.

    Dated: February 26, 2002.
Michael C. Hunt,
Acting Associate Director for, Offshore Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. 02-7588 Filed 3-26-02; 11:50 am]
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