[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 31 (Friday, February 14, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8988-8993]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-03320]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)

[MMAA104000]


Eastern Gulf of Mexico Planning Area (EPA) Outer Continental 
Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 225 (EPA Sale 225)

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.

ACTION: Final notice of sale.

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SUMMARY: On Wednesday, March 19, 2014, BOEM will open and publicly 
announce bids received for blocks offered in EPA Sale 225 in accordance 
with the provisions of the OCS Lands Act (OCSLA, 43 U.S.C. 1331-1356, 
as amended) and the implementing regulations issued pursuant thereto 
(30 CFR parts 550 and 556).
    The EPA 225 Final Notice of Sale (NOS) package (Final NOS Package) 
contains information essential to potential bidders, and bidders are 
charged with knowing the contents of the documents contained in the 
Final NOS Package. The Final NOS Package is available at the address 
and Web site below.

DATES: Public bid reading for EPA Sale 225 will begin at 9:00 a.m., 
Wednesday, March 19, 2014, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, 1500 
Sugarbowl Drive, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112. The lease sale will be 
held in the St. Charles Club Room on the second floor (Loge Level). 
Entry to the Superdome will be on the Poydras Street side of the 
building through Gate A on the Ground Level; parking will be available 
at Garage 6. All times referred to in this document are local New 
Orleans times, unless otherwise specified.
    Bid Submission Deadline: BOEM must receive all sealed bids between 
8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on normal working days, or from 8:00 a.m. to 
the Bid Submission Deadline of 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 18, 2014, 
the day before the lease sale. For more information on bid submission, 
see Section VII, ``Bidding Instructions,'' of this document.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties, upon request, may obtain a compact disc 
(CD-ROM) containing the Final NOS Package by contacting the BOEM Gulf 
of Mexico Region (GOMR) at:
    Gulf of Mexico Region Public Information Office, Bureau of Ocean 
Energy Management, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 
70123-2394, (504) 736-2519 or (800) 200-GULF.

[[Page 8989]]

or by visiting the BOEM Web site at www.boem.gov/sale-225/.

Table of Contents

    This Final NOS includes the following sections:

I. Lease Sale Area
II. Statutes and Regulations
III. Lease Terms and Economic Conditions
IV. Lease Stipulations
V. Information to Lessees
VI. Maps
VII. Bidding Instructions
VIII. Bidding Rules and Restrictions
IX. Forms
X. The Lease Sale
XI. Delay of Sale

I. Lease Sale Area

Blocks Offered for Leasing

    In EPA Sale 225, BOEM is offering for lease all blocks and partial 
blocks in the document ``List of Blocks Available for Leasing'' 
included in the Final NOS Package. All of these blocks are shown on the 
following leasing maps and Official Protraction Diagrams (OPDs):
Outer Continental Shelf Official Protraction Diagrams (These Diagrams 
Sell for $2.00 Each.)
NG16-02 Lloyd Ridge (revised February 28, 2007)
NH16-11 De Soto Canyon (revised February 28, 2007)

    Please Note:
    A CD-ROM (in ArcInfo and Acrobat (.pdf) format) containing all of 
the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) leasing maps and OPDs, except for those not 
yet converted to digital format, is available from the BOEM Gulf of 
Mexico Region Public Information Office for a price of $15.00. These 
GOM leasing maps and OPDs are available for free online in .pdf and 
.gra formats at http://www.boem.gov/Oil-and-Gas-Energy-Program/Mapping-and-Data/Official-Protraction-Diagrams.aspx.
    For the current status of all EPA leasing maps and OPDs, please 
refer to 66 FR 28002 (May 21, 2001), 69 FR 23211 (April 28, 2004), 72 
FR 27590 (May 16, 2007), 72 FR 35720 (June 29, 2007), 73 FR 63505 
(October 24, 2008), and 76 FR 54787 (September 2, 2011).
    All blocks being offered in the lease sale are shown on these 
leasing maps and OPDs. The available Federal acreage of all whole and 
partial blocks in this lease sale is shown in the document ``List of 
Blocks Available for Leasing'' included in the Final NOS Package. Some 
of these blocks may be partially leased or deferred, or transected by 
administrative lines such as the Federal/State jurisdictional line. A 
bid on a block must include all of the available Federal acreage of 
that block. Information on the unleased portions of such blocks is 
found in the document ``Eastern Planning Area, Lease Sale 225, March 
19, 2014--Unleased Split Blocks and Available Unleased Acreage of 
Blocks With Aliquots and Irregular Portions Under Lease or Deferred'' 
included in the Final NOS Package.
    For additional information, please call Mr. Lenny Coats, Chief of 
the Mapping and Automation Section, at (504) 736-1457.

Blocks Not Offered for Leasing

    All whole or partial blocks in the EPA deferred by the Gulf of 
Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, Public Law 109-432.

II. Statutes and Regulations

    Each lease is issued pursuant to OCSLA, and is subject to OCSLA, 
implementing regulations promulgated pursuant thereto, and other 
applicable statutes and regulations in existence upon the effective 
date of the lease, as well as those applicable statutes enacted and 
regulations promulgated thereafter, except to the extent that the 
after-enacted statutes and regulations explicitly conflict with an 
express provision of the lease. Each lease is also subject to 
amendments to statutes and regulations, including but not limited to 
OCSLA, that do not explicitly conflict with an express provision of the 
lease. The lessee expressly bears the risk that such new or amended 
statutes and regulations (i.e., those that do not explicitly conflict 
with an express provision of the lease) may increase or decrease the 
lessee's obligations under the lease.

III. Lease Terms and Economic Conditions

Lease Terms

OCS Lease Form
    BOEM will use Form BOEM-2005 (October 2011) to convey leases issued 
as a result of this sale. This lease form may be viewed on the BOEM Web 
site at http://www.boem.gov/About-BOEM/Procurement-Business-Opportunities/BOEM-OCS-Operation-Forms/BOEM-2005.aspx. The lease form 
will be amended to conform with the specific terms, conditions, and 
stipulations applicable to each individual lease. The terms, 
conditions, and stipulations applicable to this sale are set forth 
below.
Initial Periods
    Initial periods are summarized in the following table:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Water depth (meters)                    Initial periods
------------------------------------------------------------------------
800 to <1,600.....................  Standard initial period is 7 years;
                                     the lessee will earn an additional
                                     3 years (i.e., for a 10-year
                                     extended initial period) if a well
                                     is spudded during the first 7 years
                                     of the lease.
1,600+............................  10 years.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (1) The standard initial period for a lease in water depths of 800 
to less than 1,600 meters issued as a result of this sale will be 7 
years. The lessee will earn an additional 3 years, resulting in a 10-
year extended initial period, if the lessee spuds a well within the 
first 7 years of the lease.
    In order to earn the 10-year extended initial period, the lessee is 
required to submit to the appropriate Bureau of Safety and 
Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) District Manager, within 30 days after 
spudding a well, a letter providing the well number and spud date, and 
requesting concurrence that the lessee earned the 10-year extended 
initial period. The BSEE District Manager will review the request and 
make a determination. A written response will be sent to the lessee 
documenting the BSEE District Manager's decision within 30 days of 
receipt of the request. The BSEE District Manager must concur in 
writing that the conditions have been met by the lessee to earn the 10-
year extended initial period.
    (2) The standard initial period for a lease in water depths 1,600 
meters or greater issued as a result of this sale will be 10 years.

Economic Conditions

Minimum Bonus Bid Amounts
     $100.00 per acre or fraction thereof for all blocks.
    BOEM will not accept a bonus bid unless it provides for a cash 
bonus in the amount equal to, or exceeding, the specified minimum bid 
of $100.00 per acre or fraction thereof.

[[Page 8990]]

Rental Rates
    Annual rental rates for all blocks are summarized in the following 
table:

                Rental Rates per Acre or Fraction Thereof
------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Water depth (meters)                Years 1-5     Years 6+
------------------------------------------------------------------------
800+........................................       $11.00        $16.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Royalty Rate
     18.75 percent
Minimum Royalty Rate
     $11.00 per acre or fraction thereof per year

IV. Lease Stipulations

    One or more of the following stipulations may be applied to leases 
issued as a result of this sale. The detailed text of these 
stipulations is contained in the ``Lease Stipulations'' section of the 
Final NOS Package.

(1) Military Areas
(2) Evacuation
(3) Coordination
(4) Protected Species

V. Information to Lessees

    The ``Information to Lessees'' (ITL) clauses provide detailed 
information on certain issues pertaining to this oil and gas lease 
sale. The detailed text of these ITL clauses is contained in the 
``Information to Lessees'' section of the Final NOS Package:

(1) Navigation Safety
(2) Ordnance Disposal Areas
(3) Existing and Proposed Artificial Reefs/Rigs-to-Reefs
(4) Lightering Zones
(5) Indicated Hydrocarbons List
(6) Military Warning Areas
(7) Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Inspection 
and Enforcement of Certain Coast Guard Regulations
(8) Commercial Waste Disposal Areas
(9) Air Quality Permits
(10) Notice of Arrival on the Outer Continental Shelf
(11) Bidder/Lessee Notice Obligations Related to Criminal/Civil Charges 
and Offenses, Suspension, or Debarment.

VI. Maps

    The map pertaining to this lease sale may be found on the BOEM Web 
site at www.boem.gov/sale-225/. The following map is also included in 
the Final NOS Package:

Lease Terms, Economic Conditions, and Stipulations Map

    The lease terms, economic conditions, stipulations, and blocks to 
which these terms and conditions apply are shown on the map ``Final, 
Eastern Planning Area, Lease Sale 225, March 19, 2014, Lease Terms, 
Economic Conditions, and Stipulations'' included in the Final NOS 
Package.

VII. Bidding Instructions

    Instructions on how to submit a bid, secure payment of the advance 
bonus bid deposit (if applicable), and what information must be 
included with the bid are as follows:

Bid Form

    For each block bid upon, a separate sealed bid shall be submitted 
in a sealed envelope (as described below) and must include the 
following:
     Total amount of the bid in whole dollars only;
     sale number;
     sale date;
     each bidder's exact name;
     each bidder's proportionate interest, stated as a 
percentage, using a maximum of five decimal places (e.g., 33.33333 
percent);
     typed name, title, and signature of each bidder's 
authorized officer;
     each bidder's qualification number;
     map name and number or Official Protraction Diagram (OPD) 
name and number;
     block number; and
     statement acknowledging that the bidder(s) understand that 
this bid legally binds the bidder(s) to comply with all applicable 
regulations, including payment of one-fifth of the bonus bid amount on 
all apparent high bids.
    The information required on the bid(s) will be specified in the 
document ``Bid Form'' contained in the Final NOS Package. A blank bid 
form is provided therein for convenience and may be copied and 
completed with the necessary information described above.

Bid Envelope

    Each bid must be submitted in a separate sealed envelope labeled as 
follows:
     ``Sealed Bid for Oil and Gas Lease Sale 225, not to be 
opened until 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 19, 2014'';
     map name and number or OPD name and number;
     block number for block bid upon; and
     the exact name and company number of the submitting bidder 
only.
    The Final NOS Package includes samples of the bid envelopes for 
reference.

Mailed Bids

    If bids are mailed, please address the envelope containing the 
sealed bid envelope(s) as follows:
    Attention: Leasing and Financial Responsibility Section, BOEM Gulf 
of Mexico Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 
70123-2394.

Contains Sealed Bids for EPA Oil and Gas Lease Sale 225
Please Deliver to Ms. Cindy Thibodeaux or Ms. Kasey Couture, 2nd Floor, 
Immediately

    Please Note:
    Bidders mailing bid(s) are advised to call Ms. Cindy Thibodeaux at 
(504) 736-2809, or Ms. Kasey Couture at (504) 736-2909, immediately 
after putting their bid(s) in the mail. If BOEM receives bids later 
than the Bid Submission Deadline, the BOEM Regional Director (RD) will 
return those bids unopened to bidders. Please see ``Section XI. Delay 
of Sale'' regarding BOEM's discretion to extend the Bid Submission 
Deadline in the case of an unexpected event (e.g., flooding or travel 
restrictions) and how bidders can obtain more information on such 
extensions.

Advance Bonus Bid Deposit Guarantee

    Bidders that are not currently an OCS oil and gas lease record 
title holder or designated operator or those that ever have defaulted 
on a one-fifth bonus bid deposit, by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) or 
otherwise, must guarantee (secure) the payment of the one-fifth bonus 
bid deposit prior to bid submission using one of the following four 
methods:
     Provide a third-party guarantee;
     amend an areawide development bond via bond rider;
     provide a letter of credit; or
     provide a lump sum payment in advance via EFT.
    For more information on EFT procedures, see Section X of this 
document entitled ``The Lease Sale.''

Affirmative Action

    BOEM requests that, prior to bidding, the bidder file the Equal 
Opportunity Affirmative Action Representation Form BOEM-2032 (October 
2011) and the Equal Opportunity Compliance Report Certification Form 
BOEM-2033 (October 2011) with the BOEM Gulf of Mexico Region 
Adjudication Section. This certification is required by 41 CFR part 60 
and Executive Order No. 11246, issued September 24, 1965, as amended by 
Executive Order No. 11375, issued October 13, 1967. Please note that 
both forms are required to be on file for the

[[Page 8991]]

bidder(s) in the GOMR Adjudication Section prior to the execution of 
any lease contract.

Geophysical Data and Information Statement Package (GDIS)

    The GDIS is composed of three parts:
    (1) The ``Statement'' page includes the company representatives' 
information and lists of blocks bid on that used proprietary data and 
those bid on that did not use proprietary data,
    (2) the ``Table'' listing the required data about each proprietary 
survey used (see below), and
    (3) the ``Maps,'' which are the live trace maps for each survey 
identified in the GDIS statement and table.
    Every bidder submitting a bid on a block in EPA Sale 225, or 
participating as a joint bidder in such a bid, must submit at the time 
of bid submission all three parts of the GDIS. A bidder must submit the 
GDIS even if its joint bidder or bidders on a specific block also have 
submitted a GDIS. Any speculative data that has been reprocessed 
externally or ``in-house'' is considered proprietary due to the 
proprietary processing and is no longer considered to be speculative.
    The GDIS must be submitted in a separate and sealed envelope. It 
also must identify all proprietary data; reprocessed speculative data, 
and/or any Controlled Source Electromagnetic surveys, Amplitude Versus 
Offset (AVO), Gravity, or Magnetic data; or other information used as 
part of the decision to bid or participate in a bid on the block. The 
bidder and joint bidder must also include a live trace map (e.g., .pdf 
and ArcGIS shape file) for each survey that they identify in the GDIS 
illustrating the actual areal extent of the proprietary geophysical 
data in the survey (see the ``Example of Preferred Format'' in the 
Final NOS Package for additional information).
    The GDIS statement must include the name, phone number, and full 
address of a contact person and an alternate who are both knowledgeable 
about the information and data listed and who are available for 30 days 
post sale. The GDIS statement also must include entries for all blocks 
bid upon that did not use proprietary or reprocessed pre- or post-stack 
geophysical data and information as part of the decision to bid or to 
participate as a joint bidder in the bid. The GDIS statement must be 
submitted even if no proprietary geophysical data and information were 
used in bid preparation for the block.
    The GDIS table should have columns that clearly state the sale 
number; the bidder company's name; the block area and block number bid 
on; the owner of the original data set (i.e., who initially acquired 
the data); the industry's original survey name (e.g., E Octopus); the 
BOEM permit number for the survey; whether the data set is a fast track 
version; whether the data is speculative or proprietary; the data type 
(e.g., 2-D, 3-D, or 4-D; pre-stack or post-stack; and time or depth); 
migration algorithm (e.g., Kirchhoff Migration, Wave Equation 
Migration, Reverse Migration, Reverse Time Migration) of the data; and 
areal extent of bidder survey (i.e., number of line miles for 2-D or 
number of blocks for 3-D). Provide the computer storage size, to the 
nearest gigabyte, of each seismic data and velocity volume used to 
evaluate the lease block in question. This will be used in estimating 
the reproduction costs for each data set, if applicable. The next 
column should state who reprocessed the data (e.g., external company 
name or ``in-house'') and when the date of final reprocessing was 
completed (month and year). If the data was sent to BOEM for bidding in 
a previous lease sale, list the date the data was processed (month and 
year) and indicate if AVO data was used in the evaluation. BOEM 
reserves the right to query about alternate data sets, to quality 
check, and to compare the listed and alternative data sets to determine 
which data set most closely meets the needs of the fair market value 
determination process. An example of the preferred format of the table 
may be found in the Final NOS Package and a blank digital version of 
the preferred table may be accessed on the EPA 225 Sale page at http://www.boem.gov/Sale-225/.
    The GDIS maps are live trace maps (in .pdf and ArcGIS shape files) 
that should be submitted for each survey that is identified in the GDIS 
table. They should illustrate the actual areal extent of the 
proprietary geophysical data in the survey (see the ``Example of 
Preferred Format'' in the Final NOS Package for additional 
information).
    Pursuant to 30 CFR 551.12 and 30 CFR 556.32, as a condition of the 
sale, the BOEM Gulf of Mexico RD requests that all bidders and joint 
bidders submit the proprietary data identified on their GDIS within 30 
days after the lease sale (unless they are notified after the lease 
sale that BOEM has withdrawn the request). This request only pertains 
to proprietary data that is not commercially available. Commercially 
available data is not required to be submitted to BOEM, and 
reimbursement will not be provided if such data is submitted by a 
bidder. The BOEM Gulf of Mexico RD will notify bidders and joint 
bidders of any withdrawal of the request, for all or some of the 
proprietary data identified on the GDIS, within 15 days of the lease 
sale. Pursuant to 30 CFR part 551 and as a condition of this sale, all 
bidders required to submit data must ensure that the data is received 
by BOEM no later than the 30th day following the lease sale, or the 
next business day if the submission deadline falls on a weekend or 
Federal holiday. The data must be submitted to BOEM at the following 
address:
    Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Resource Studies, MS 881A, 1201 
Elmwood Park Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70123-2304.
    BOEM recommends that bidders mark the submission's external 
envelope as ``Deliver Immediately to DASPU.'' BOEM also recommends that 
the data be submitted in an internal envelope, or otherwise marked, 
with the following designation: ``Proprietary Geophysical Data 
Submitted Pursuant to Lease Sale 225 and used during  
evaluation of Block .''
    In the event a person supplies any type of data to BOEM, that 
person must meet the following requirements to qualify for 
reimbursement:
    (1) Persons must be registered with the System for Award Management 
(SAM), formerly known as the Central Contractor Registration (CCR). CCR 
usernames will not work in SAM. A new SAM User Account is needed to 
register or update an entity's records. The Web site for registering is 
https://www.sam.gov.
    (2) Persons must be enrolled in the Department of Treasury's 
Internet Payment Platform (IPP) for electronic invoicing. The person 
must enroll in the IPP at https://www.ipp.gov/. Access then will be 
granted to use the IPP for submitting requests for payment. When a 
request for payment is submitted, it must include the assigned Purchase 
Order Number on the request.
    (3) Persons must have a current On-line Representations and 
Certifications Application at https://www.sam.gov.
    Please Note:
    The GDIS Information Table must be submitted digitally, preferably 
as an Excel spreadsheet, on a CD or DVD along with the seismic data 
map(s). If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Dee Smith at 
(504) 736-2706, or Mr. John Johnson at (504) 736-2455. Bidders should 
refer to Section X of this document, ``The Lease Sale: Acceptance, 
Rejection, or Return of Bids,'' regarding a bidder's failure to comply 
with the requirements of the Final NOS, including any failure to submit 
information as required in the Final NOS or Final NOS Package.

[[Page 8992]]

Telephone Numbers/Addresses of Bidders

    BOEM requests that bidders provide this information prior to or at 
the time of bid submission. The suggested format is contained in the 
Final NOS Package. This form must not be enclosed inside the sealed bid 
envelope.

Additional Documentation

    BOEM may require bidders to submit other documents in accordance 
with 30 CFR 556.46.

VIII. Bidding Rules and Restrictions

Restricted Joint Bidders

    BOEM published in the Federal Register, on October 28, 2013, the 
most recent List of Restricted Joint Bidders at 78 FR 64243. Potential 
bidders are advised to refer to the Federal Register, prior to bidding, 
for the most current List of Restricted Joint Bidders in place at the 
time of the lease sale. Please refer to joint bidding provisions at 30 
CFR 556.41 for additional restrictions.

Authorized Signatures

    All signatories executing documents on behalf of bidder(s) must 
execute the same in conformance with the BOEM qualification records.

Unlawful Combination or Intimidation

    BOEM warns bidders against violation of 18 U.S.C. 1860, prohibiting 
unlawful combination or intimidation of bidders.

Bid Withdrawal

    Bids may be withdrawn only by written request delivered to BOEM 
prior to the Bid Submission Deadline. The withdrawal request must be on 
company letterhead and must contain the bidder's name, its company 
number, the map name/number, and the block number(s) of the bid(s) to 
be withdrawn. The request must be executed in conformance with the BOEM 
qualification records. Signatories must be authorized to bind their 
respective legal business entities (e.g., a corporation, partnership, 
or LLC); they also must have an incumbency certificate and/or specific 
power of attorney setting forth express authority to act on the 
business entity's behalf for purposes of bidding and lease execution 
under OCSLA. The name and title of the signatory must be typed under 
the signature block on the withdrawal letter. Upon the BOEM Gulf of 
Mexico RD's, or his designee's, approval of such request, he will 
indicate his approval by signing and dating the withdrawal request.

Bid Rounding

    The bonus bid amount must be stated in whole dollars. If the 
acreage of a block contains a decimal figure, then prior to calculating 
the minimum bonus bid, BOEM rounded up to the next whole acre. The 
appropriate minimum rate per acre was then applied to the whole 
(rounded up) acreage. If this calculation resulted in a fractional 
dollar amount, the minimum bonus bid was rounded up to the next whole 
dollar amount. The bonus bid amount must be greater than or equal to 
the minimum bonus bid in whole dollars. Minimum bonus bid calculations, 
including all rounding, for all blocks will be shown in the document 
``List of Blocks Available for Leasing'' included in the Final NOS 
Package.

IX. Forms

    The Final NOS Package includes instructions, samples, and/or the 
preferred formats for the following items. Bidders are strongly 
encouraged to use these formats; should bidders use another format, 
they are responsible for including all the information specified for 
each item in the Final NOS Package.

(1) Bid Form
(2) Sample Completed Bid
(3) Sample Bid Envelope
(4) Sample Bid Mailing Envelope
(5) Telephone Numbers/Addresses of Bidders Form
(6) GDIS Form
(7) GDIS Envelope Form

X. The Lease Sale

Bid Opening and Reading

    Sealed bids received in response to the Final NOS will be opened at 
the place, date, and hour specified in the DATES section of this 
document above. The opening of the bids is for the sole purpose of 
publicly announcing and recording the bids received; no bids will be 
accepted or rejected at that time.

Bonus Bid Deposit for Apparent High Bids

    Each bidder submitting an apparent high bid must submit a bonus bid 
deposit to the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Natural 
Resources Revenue (ONRR) equal to one-fifth of the bonus bid amount for 
each such bid. A copy of the notification of the high bidder's one-
fifth bonus liability may be obtained at the EFT Area outside the Bid 
Reading Room on the day of the bid opening, or it may be obtained on 
the BOEM Web site at www.boem.gov/Sale-225/ under the heading 
``Notification of EFT 1/5 Bonus Liability.'' All payments must be 
deposited electronically into an interest-bearing account in the U.S. 
Treasury by 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time the day following the bid reading 
(no exceptions). Account information is provided in the ``Instructions 
for Making Electronic Funds Transfer Bonus Payments'' found on the BOEM 
Web site at http://www.boem.gov/Final-Notice-of-Sale-225-Package/.
    BOEM requires bidders to use EFT procedures for payment of one-
fifth bonus bid deposits for EPA Sale 225, following the detailed 
instructions contained on the ONRR Payment Information Web page at 
www.onrr.gov/FM/PayInfo.htm. Acceptance of a deposit does not 
constitute and shall not be construed as acceptance of any bid on 
behalf of the United States.

Withdrawal of Blocks

    The United States reserves the right to withdraw any block or 
partial block from this lease sale prior to issuance of a written 
acceptance of a bid for the block.

Acceptance, Rejection, or Return of Bids

    The United States reserves the right to reject any and all bids. No 
bid will be accepted, and no lease for any block will be awarded, to 
any bidder, unless the bidder has complied with all requirements of the 
Final NOS, including those set forth in the documents contained in the 
Final NOS Package and applicable regulations, the bid is the highest 
valid bid, and the amount of the bid has been determined to be adequate 
by the authorized officer. Any bid submitted that does not conform to 
the requirements of the Final NOS and Final NOS Package, OCSLA, or 
other applicable statute or regulation may be rejected and returned to 
the bidder. The U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission 
will review the results of the lease sale for anti-trust issues prior 
to the acceptance of bids and issuance of leases. To ensure that the 
Government receives a fair return for the conveyance of leases from 
this sale, high bids will be evaluated in accordance with BOEM's bid 
adequacy procedures. A copy of current procedures, ``Modifications to 
the Bid Adequacy Procedures,'' published at 64 FR 37560 on July 12, 
1999, can be obtained from the BOEM Gulf of Mexico Region Public 
Information Office, or via the BOEM Gulf of Mexico Region Web site at 
www.boem.gov/Oil-and-Gas-Energy-Program/Leasing/Regional-Leasing/Gulf-of-Mexico-Region/Bid-Adequacy-Procedures.aspx.

Lease Award

    BOEM requires each bidder awarded a lease to: (1) Execute all 
copies of the lease (Form BOEM-2005 (October 2011), as amended); (2) 
pay by EFT the balance of the bonus bid amount and the first year's 
rental for each lease

[[Page 8993]]

issued in accordance with the requirements of 30 CFR 1218.155 and 
556.47(f); and (3) satisfy the bonding requirements of 30 CFR part 556, 
subpart I, as amended. ONRR requests that only one transaction be used 
for payment of the four-fifths bonus bid amount and the first year's 
rental.

XI. Delay of Sale

    The BOEM Gulf of Mexico RD has the discretion to change any date, 
time, and/or location specified in the Final NOS Package in case of an 
event that the BOEM Gulf of Mexico RD deems may interfere with the 
carrying out of a fair and proper lease sale process. Such events could 
include, but are not limited to, natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, 
hurricanes, and floods), wars, riots, acts of terrorism, fires, 
strikes, civil disorder, or other events of a similar nature. In case 
of such events, bidders should call (504) 736-0557, or access the BOEM 
Web site at http://www.boem.gov. for information regarding any changes.

Tommy P. Beaudreau,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2014-03320 Filed 2-13-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P