[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 37 (Friday, February 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 9593]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2613]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MT-030-1320-EL, NDM 91535]


Notice of Competitive Coal Lease Sale, North Dakota

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of competitive coal lease sale.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the coal reserves in the lands 
described below in Mercer County, North Dakota, will be offered for 
competitive lease by sealed bid in accordance with the provisions of 
the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.).

DATES: The lease sale will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, March 2, 2006. 
Sealed bids must be submitted on or before 10 a.m., March 2, 2006.

ADDRESSES: The lease sale will be held in the 920 Conference Room, of 
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Montana State Office, 5001 
Southgate Drive, Billings, Montana 59101. Sealed bids clearly marked 
``Sealed Bid for NDM 91535 Coal Sale--Not to be opened before 11 a.m., 
Thursday, March 2, 2006'' must be submitted to the Cashier, BLM Montana 
State Office, at the address given above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Connie Schaff, Land Law Examiner, or 
Rebecca Spurgin, Acting Chief, Branch of Solid Minerals, at 406-896-
5060 or 406-896-5080, respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This sale is being held in response to a 
lease by application filed by The Coteau Properties Company. The 
Federal coal resources to be offered consists of all recoverable 
reserves in the following described lands:

T. 144 N., R. 88 W., 5th P. M.
    Sec. 2: Lots 3, 4, S\1/2\NW\1/4\
    Sec. 4: Lots 1, 2, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\
    Sec. 6: Lots 1-7, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, E\1/2\SW\1/4\, 
SE\1/4\
    Sec. 8: N\1/2\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, NW\1/4\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\
T. 144 N., R. 89 W., 5th P. M.
    Sec. 12: E\1/2\
T. 145 N., R. 88 W., 5th P. M.
    Sec. 4: Lots 1, 2, S\1/2\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\
    Sec. 10: N\1/2\
    Sec. 14: All
    Sec. 22: All
    Sec. 26: N\1/2\NE\1/4\, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, W\1/2\, NW\1/4\SE\1/4\
    Sec. 28: E\1/2\NE\1/4\, SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, S\1/2\
    Sec. 34: N\1/2\N\1/2\, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, SW\1/4\, E\1/2\SE\1/4\, 
SW\1/4\ SE\1/4\

    The 5,333.56-acre tract, located in Mercer County, North
    Dakota, contains an estimated 89 million tons of recoverable coal 
reserves. For NDM 91535, the tract averages 17.3 feet in thickness with 
an average overburden depth of 117 feet, 6,864 BTU/lb. in heating value 
and 0.83% sulphur content.
    The tracts will be leased to the qualified bidder of the highest 
cash amount provided that the high bid meets or exceeds the BLM's 
estimate of the estimated fair market value of the tract. The minimum 
bid for the tracts is $100 per acre or fraction thereof. No bid that is 
less than $100 per acre, or fraction thereof, will be considered. The 
minimum bid is not intended to represent fair market value. The fair 
market value will be determined by the Authorized Officer after the 
sale. The bids should be sent by certified mail, return-receipt 
requested, or be hand-delivered. The cashier will issue a receipt for 
each hand-delivered bid. Bids received after 10 a.m., Thursday, March 
2, 2006, will not be considered.
    If identical high bids are received, the tying high bidders will be 
requested to submit follow-up sealed bids until a high bid is received. 
All tie-breaking sealed-bids must be submitted within 15 minutes 
following the Sale Official's announcement at the sale that identical 
high bids have been received.
    A lease issued as a result of this offering will provide for 
payment of an annual rental of $3 per acre, or fraction thereof; and a 
royalty payable to the United States of 12.5 percent of the value of 
coal mined by surface methods and 8.0 percent of the value of coal 
mined by underground methods.
    Bidding instructions for the tracts offered and the terms and 
conditions of the proposed coal lease are included in the Detailed 
Statement of Lease Sale. Copies of the statement and the proposed coal 
lease are available at the Montana State Office. Casefile NDM 91535 is 
also available for public inspection at the Montana State Office.

    Dated: January 5, 2006.
Rebecca Spurgin,
Acting Chief, Branch of Solid Minerals.
[FR Doc. E6-2613 Filed 2-23-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-$$-P