[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 234 (Tuesday, December 8, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64710-64711]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-29182]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R9-FHC-2009-N166; 71490-1351-0000-L5]


Letters of Authorization To Take Marine Mammals

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of issuance.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, 
as amended (MMPA), we, the Fish and Wildlife Service, have issued 
letters of authorization to take polar bears and Pacific walrus 
incidental to oil and gas industry exploration, development, and 
production activities in the Beaufort Sea and adjacent northern coast 
of Alaska and incidental to oil and gas industry exploration activities 
in the Chukchi Sea and adjacent western coast of Alaska.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig Perham at the Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Marine Mammals Management Office, 1011 East Tudor Road, 
Anchorage, AK 99503; (800) 362-5148 or (907) 786-3810.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 2, 2006, we published in the 
Federal Register (71 FR 43926) a final rule establishing regulations 
that allow us to authorize the nonlethal, incidental, unintentional 
take of small numbers of polar bears and Pacific walrus during year-
round oil and gas industry exploration, development, and production 
activities in the Beaufort Sea and adjacent northern coast of Alaska 
for 5 years from date of issuance of that rule. In accordance with that 
rule, section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA, and our regulations at 50 CFR 
part 18, subpart J, we issued a letter of authorization (LOA) to the 
following companies in the Beaufort Sea and adjacent northern coast of 
Alaska.

                                 Beaufort Sea, Letters of Authorization for 2008
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              Company                       Activity                 Project                 Date issued
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Denali--the Alaska Pipeline Group..  Exploration...........  2008 Hydrology study..  Sept 15, 2008.
Brooks Range Petroleum Corp........  Exploration...........  North Shore Sak River.  Nov 1, 2008.
Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska,    Production............  Oooguruk Project......  Dec 15, 2008.
 Inc.
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[[Page 64711]]


                                 Beaufort Sea, Letters of Authorization for 2009
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              Company                       Activity                 Project                 Date issued
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BP Exploration Alaska, Inc.........  Development...........  Liberty Development...  Jan 7, 2009.
Shell Offshore, Inc................  Exploration...........  On-ice Buoy Deployment  Jan 8, 2009.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc.........  Exploration...........  Pioneer 1....  Jan 15, 2009.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc.........  Exploration...........  Grandview 1 East......  Jan 15, 2009.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc.........  Development...........  CD5 Satellite Develop.  Jan 15, 2009.
Savant Alaska, LLC.................  Exploration...........  Badami Redevelopment..  Jan 16, 2009.
BP Exploration Alaska, Inc.........  Development...........  Challenge Is. well      Jan 15, 2009.
                                                              removal.
BP Exploration Alaska, Inc.........  Exploration...........  Winter seismic........  Jan 15, 2009.
Brooks Range Petroleum Corp........  Exploration...........  East Shore............  Jan 15, 2009.
Brooks Range Petroleum Corp........  Exploration...........  West Shore............  Jan 15, 2009.
Brooks Range Petroleum Corp........  Exploration...........  UltraStar.............  Jan 15, 2009.
Anadarko Petroleum Co..............  Exploration...........  Gubik, Chandler, Wolf   Feb 3, 2009.
                                                              Cr.
Kupik-Veritas DGC Land Inc.........  Exploration...........  SOI 3D seismic........  Feb 4, 2009.
Kupik-Veritas DGC Land Inc.........  Exploration...........  Point Thomson 3D        Feb 4, 2009.
                                                              seismic.
Eni U.S, Operating Co, Inc.........  Development...........  Nikaitchuq............  Feb 20, 2009.
ExxonMobil Production Co...........  Development...........  Point Thomson.........  Feb 4, 2009.
Marsh Creek, LLC...................  Development...........  Umiat Test Well 9       Feb 24, 2009.
                                                              Remediation.
Marsh Creek, LLC...................  Development...........  Atigaru Point Test      Feb 24, 2009.
                                                              Well Remediation.
UltraStar Exploration, LLC.........  Exploration...........  Dewline Deep..........  Mar 26, 2009.
Alyeska Pipeline Service Co........  Production............  Trans-Alaska Pipeline.  Mar 26, 2009.
Shell Offshore, Inc................  Exploration...........  Scientific Data Device  Sept 3, 2009.
                                                              Deployment Program.
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    On June 11, 2008, we published in the Federal Register (73 FR 
33212) a final rule establishing regulations that allow us to authorize 
the nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of polar 
bears and Pacific walrus during year-round oil and gas industry 
exploration activities in the Chukchi Sea and adjacent western coast of 
Alaska for 5 years from date of issuance of that rule. In accordance 
with that rule, section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA, and our regulations 
at 50 CFR part 18, subpart I, we issued a letter of authorization (LOA) 
to the following companies in the Chukchi Sea.

                                 Chukchi Sea, Letters of Authorization for 2009
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              Company                       Activity                 Project                 Date issued
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Shell Exploration and..............  Exploration...........  Marine Survey Program.  July 16, 2009.
Production Co......................
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc.........  Exploration...........  Site Clearance and      Aug 6, 2009.
                                                              Environmental Studies
                                                              Program.
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    Dated: November 6, 2009.
Geoffrey L. Haskett,
Regional Director, Alaska Region.
[FR Doc. E9-29182 Filed 12-7-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P