[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 61 (Friday, March 29, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19288-19290]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-07339]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R7-FHC-2013-N047; FF07CAMM00.FX.FR133707PB000]


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), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, or we), 
has issued letters of authorization for the nonlethal take of polar 
bears and Pacific walrus incidental to oil and gas industry 
exploration, development, and production activities in the Beaufort Sea 
and the adjacent northern coast of Alaska and incidental to oil and gas 
industry exploration activities in the Chukchi Sea and the adjacent 
western coast of Alaska. These letters of authorization stipulate 
conditions and methods that minimize impacts to polar bears and Pacific 
walrus from these activities.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig Perham at the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management Office, 1011 East Tudor 
Road, MS 341, Anchorage, AK 99503; (800) 362-5148 or (907) 786-3810.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 3, 2011, we published in the 
Federal Register a final rule (76 FR 47010) 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. 
The rule established subpart J in part 18 of title 50 of the Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) and is effective through August 3, 2016. The 
rule prescribed a process under which we issue Letters of Authorization 
(LOAs) to applicants conducting activities as described under the 
provisions of the regulations.
    Each LOA stipulates conditions or methods that are specific to the 
activity and location. Holders of LOAs must use methods and conduct 
activities in a manner that minimizes to the greatest extent 
practicable adverse impacts on Pacific walrus and polar bears, their 
habitat, and on the availability of these marine mammals for 
subsistence purposes. Intentional take and lethal incidental take is 
prohibited.
    In accordance with section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 
et seq.) and our regulations at 50 CFR 18, subpart J, we issued LOAs to 
each of the following companies in the Beaufort Sea and adjacent 
northern coast of Alaska:

                                      Beaufort Sea Letters of Authorization
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Company                     Activity                     Project                    Date issued
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company.  Production.........  Trans-Alaska Pipeline Operation &   November 15, 2011.
                                                         Maintenance.
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company.  Production.........  Trans-Alaska Pipeline Operation &   December 11, 2012.
                                                         Maintenance.

[[Page 19289]]

 
BP Exploration Alaska, Inc.......  Exploration........  Summer Seismic Survey.............  August 3, 2011.
BP Exploration Alaska, Inc.......  Production.........  North Slope Production............  August 3, 2011.
BP Exploration Alaska, Inc.......  Development........  Liberty Development Project.......  January 10, 2012.
BP Exploration Alaska, Inc.......  Development........  Red Dog 1 Plug and         January 10, 2012.
                                                         Abandonment Project.
BP Exploration Alaska, Inc.......  Exploration........  Simpson Lagoon Seismic Survey.....  July 16, 2012.
Brooks Range Petroleum             Exploration........  North Tarn/Mustang Exploration      November 20, 2011.
 Corporation.                                            Program.
Brooks Range Petroleum             Exploration........  Tofcat Exploration Program........  February 1, 2012.
 Corporation.
Brooks Range Petroleum             Exploration........  Mustang Exploration Program.......  January 15, 2013.
 Corporation.
CGGVeritas.......................  Exploration........  Tabasco 3D Seismic Survey.........  November 30, 2011.
CGGVeritas.......................  Exploration........  Great Bear 3D Seismic Survey......  March 19, 2012.
CGGVeritas.......................  Exploration........  Great Bear Winter 3D Seismic        February 1, 2013.
                                                         Survey.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc.......  Production.........  North Slope Production............  August, 3, 2011.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc.......  Exploration........  Hydrate Production Test, Ignik      December 1, 2011.
                                                         Sikumi I, Prudhoe Bay Unit.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc.......  Development........  Hemi Springs Plug and Abandonment   January 15, 2012.
                                                         Program.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc.......  Development........  North Staines River 1      March 19, 2012.
                                                         Well Inspection.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc.......  Development........  Gravel Borehole Project...........  March 19, 2012.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc.......  Exploration........  Winter Exploration Drilling         December 15, 2012.
                                                         Program.
Eni US Operating Co., Inc........  Development........  Nikaitchuq Development Project....  August 15, 2012.
ExxonMobil Production Company....  Exploration........  Prudhoe Bay Bathymetry & Noise      April 1, 2012.
                                                         Monitoring Survey.
ExxonMobil Production Company....  Development........  Point Thomson.....................  February 1, 2012.
ExxonMobil Production Company....  Development........  Point Thomson.....................  February 1, 2013.
Great Bear Petroleum, LLC........  Exploration........  Great Bear Exploration and          January 19, 2012.
                                                         Evaluation Program.
Ion Geophysical..................  Exploration........  2D Seismic Survey.................  October 17, 2012.
North Slope Borough..............  Development........  Gas Fields Well Drilling Program..  May 1, 2012.
Olgoonik Fairweather, LLC........  Exploration........  Beaufort Sea Acoustic Monitoring    July 15, 2012.
                                                         Recorder Deployment and Retrieval
                                                         Project.
Olgoonik Fairweather, LLC........  Exploration........  Marine Fish Transboundary Cruise    September 19, 2012.
                                                         Environmental Studies Program.
Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska,  Production.........  North Slope Production............  August 3, 2011.
 Inc..
Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska,  Exploration........  North Slope Exploration Program...  October 17, 2011.
 Inc..
Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska,  Development........  Nuna Development Program..........  April 20, 2012.
 Inc..
Repsol E&P USA, Inc..............  Exploration........  Colville River Delta Winter         December 7, 2011.
                                                         Drilling.
Repsol E&P USA, Inc..............  Exploration........  Colville River Delta Winter         February 7, 2013.
                                                         Drilling.
Savant Alaska, LLC...............  Development........  Badami Unit Redevelopment Project.  April 15, 2012.
Shell Offshore, Inc..............  Exploration........  Beaufort Sea Ice Observation and    January 10, 2012.
                                                         On-Ice Argos Data Buoy Deployment
                                                         Program.
Shell Offshore, Inc..............  Exploration........  Beaufort Sea Open Water Marine      June 4, 2012.
                                                         Survey Program and Onshore
                                                         Environmental Baseline Study
                                                         Activities.
Shell Offshore, Inc..............  Exploration........  Camden Bay OCS Exploration          June 4, 2012.
                                                         Drilling.
Shell Offshore, Inc..............  Exploration........  Beaufort Sea Ice Observation and    January 1, 2013.
                                                         On-Ice Argos Data Buoy Deployment
                                                         Program.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On June 11, 2008, we published in the Federal Register a final rule 
(73 FR 33212) 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. The rule established subpart I of 50 CFR part 18 and is 
effective until June 11, 2013. The process under which we issue LOAs to 
applicants and the requirements that the holders of LOAs must follow is 
the same as described above for LOAs issued under 50 CFR 18, subpart J.
    In accordance with section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA and our 
regulations at 50 CFR 18, subpart I, we issued LOAs to the following 
companies in the Chukchi Sea:

                                      Chukchi Sea Letters of Authorization
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Company                     Activity                     Project                    Date issued
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Olgoonik Fairweather, LLC........  Exploration........  Chukchi Sea Baseline Environmental  July 15, 2012.
                                                         Studies Program.
Shell Offshore, Inc..............  Exploration........  Chukchi Sea Ice Observation         January 10, 2012.
                                                         Flights Program.
Shell Offshore, Inc..............  Exploration........  Chukchi Sea Coastal Marine and      June 4, 2012.
                                                         Onshore Environmental Baseline
                                                         Study.
Shell Offshore, Inc..............  Exploration........  Chukchi Sea OCS Exploratory         June 4, 2012.
                                                         Drilling Program.

[[Page 19290]]

 
Shell Offshore, Inc..............  Exploration........  Chukchi Sea Ice Observation         February 1, 2013.
                                                         Flights Program.
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    Dated: March 12, 2013.
Geoffrey Haskett,
Regional Director, Alaska Region.
[FR Doc. 2013-07339 Filed 3-28-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P