[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 132 (Wednesday, July 10, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41420-41421]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-16397]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNM-921200-L5110-GA0000-LVEMG12CG300; NMNM-126813]


Notice of Competitive Coal Lease Sale NMNM-126813, NM

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Department of the Interior, 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM), New Mexico State Office, in 
conjunction with the Farmington District Office, will offer certain 
coal resources in the tract described below in McKinley County, New 
Mexico, for competitive sale by sealed bid in accordance with the 
provisions of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended.

DATES: The lease sale will be held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, August 14, 
2013. Sealed bids must be submitted on or before 9 a.m. on August 14, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: The lease sale will be held in the BLM Conference Room, New 
Mexico State Office, 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508. Sealed 
bids must be submitted to: Cashier, New Mexico State Office, 301 
Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ida T. Viarreal at 505-954-2163, or 
[email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal business 
hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a 
message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply 
during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This coal lease sale is being held in 
response to a lease by application filed by Peabody Natural Resources 
Company (Peabody). The Federal coal reserves to be offered consist of 
all reserves recoverable by surface mining methods in the following 
described lands in McKinley County, New Mexico:

New Mexico Principal Meridian

T. 17 N., R. 9 W.,
    Sec. 34, ALL;

    Containing 640 acres more or less.

    The tract contains an estimated 9.2 million tons of recoverable 
coal reserves, occurring in five seams in the Cleary Coal Member of the 
basal Menefee Formation. The coal is ranked as subbituminous B or C 
coal. The estimated weighted average quality of all seams (as received) 
is as follows: 9,856 BTU/lb., 16.5 percent moisture, 13.2 percent ash, 
36.9 percent fixed carbon, 33.4 percent volatile matter, and 1.32 
percent sulfur. The tract will be leased to the qualified bidder 
submitting the highest cash offer provided that the high bid meets or 
exceeds the fair market value of the tracts as determined by the 
authorized officer after the sale. No bid that is less than $100 per 
acre, or fraction thereof, will be considered. This $100 per acre is a 
regulatory minimum, and is not intended to reflect fair market value of 
the tracts.
    The sealed bids should be sent by certified mail, return receipt 
requested, or should be hand delivered to the Cashier, New Mexico State 
Office, at the address given above and clearly marked ``Sealed Bid for 
NMNM 126813 Coal Sale--Not to be opened before 10 a.m., August 14, 
2013.'' The cashier will issue a receipt for each hand delivered sealed 
bid. Bids received after 9 a.m., August 14, 2013, will not be 
considered. If identical high sealed bids are received, the tying 
bidders will be requested to submit follow-up sealed bids until a high 
bid is received. All tie-breaking sealed bids must be within 15 minutes 
following the sale official's announcement at the sale that identical 
sealed bids have been received. Prior to lease issuance, the high 
bidder, if other than the applicant, must pay the BLM the cost recovery 
fees in the amount of $107,642.17 in addition to all processing costs 
the BLM incurs after the date of this sale notice (43 CFR 3473.2). If 
the high bidder is other than Peabody, the BLM would then refund to 
Peabody the amount of $107,642.17 previously paid by Peabody.
    There is one qualified surface owner. A consent document from the 
qualified surface owner has been filed and verified by the BLM and 
meets the criteria as required by the regulations. A copy of the 
consent is attached to the detailed statement of sale. The lands within 
the lease tract which consent is filed are shown below:

T. 17 N., R. 9 W., New Mexico Principal Meridian
    Sec. 34, ALL;

    The lease issued as a result of this offering will require payment 
of an annual rental of $3 per acre or fraction thereof, and a royalty 
payable to the United States of 12\1/2\ percent of the value of the 
coal removed from a surface mine and 8 percent of the value of the coal 
removed from an underground mine. The value of the coal will be 
determined in accordance with 30 CFR part 1206, subpart F, 1206.250 et 
seq. Bidding instructions for the offered tracts are included in the 
Detailed Statement of Coal Lease Sale. Copies of the Statement, which 
includes detailed geological information on the coals and surface 
owners, are available upon request in person or by mail from the New 
Mexico State Office at 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508 or the 
Farmington District Office at 6251 College Blvd. Ste. A., Farmington, 
NM 87402. The case files are available for inspection during normal 
business

[[Page 41421]]

hours only at the New Mexico State Office.

Jesse J. Juen,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-16397 Filed 7-9-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-FB-P