[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 81 (Thursday, April 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18329-18330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08759]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R7-ES-2017-N181; FF07CAMM00-FX-ES111607MRG01]


Marine Mammals; Letters of Authorization To Take Pacific Walrus 
and Polar Bears in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, Alaska

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, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued Letters of 
Authorization for the nonlethal take of polar bears and Pacific 
walruses 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 walruses from these 
activities.

ADDRESSES: These letters of authorization are available electronically 
at the following location: http://www.fws.gov/alaska/fisheries/mmm/itr.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Christopher Putnam at the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management Office, 1011 East 
Tudor Road, MS 341, Anchorage, Alaska 99503; (800) 362-5148 or (907) 
786-3844.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 5, 2016, the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service published in the Federal Register a final rule (81 FR 
52276) establishing regulations that allow us to authorize the 
nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of polar 
bears (Ursus maritimus) and Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus 
divergens) 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 5, 2021. 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. This 
rule replaced a similar rule, published on August 3, 2011 (76 FR 
47010), which expired on August 3, 2016, and likewise prescribed a 
process under which we issued such LOAs.
    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 walruses and polar bears and 
their habitat, and on the availability of these marine mammals for 
subsistence purposes. Intentional take and lethal incidental take are 
prohibited.
    In accordance with section 101(a)(5)(A) of the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and our regulations at 50 
CFR part 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                               LOA No.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shell Exploration and Production       Support services......................  Ice surveys and          15-01
 Company, Inc.                                                                  helicopter search and
                                                                                rescue training.
Brooks Range Petroleum Corporation...  Development...........................  2015 Mustang             15-02
                                                                                Development Program.
Global Geophysical Services, Inc.....  Exploration...........................  Winter seismic work....  15-03
Geokinetics, Inc.....................  Exploration...........................  Winter seismic work....  15-04
Repsol E and P USA, Inc..............  Exploration...........................  Exploration drilling in  15-05
                                                                                the Colville River
                                                                                Delta.
BP Exploration (Alaska), Inc.........  Exploration...........................  Winter seismic work....  15-06
ExxonMobil Development Company.......  Development...........................  Point Thomson Project..  15-07, 16-06, 16-17
Hilcorp Alaska, LLC..................  Exploration...........................  Liberty Geotech and      15-08
                                                                                Shallow Hazard Survey.
Caelus Energy Alaska, LLC............  Development...........................  Nuna Project...........  15-09, 16-01, 16-12, 17-06
Olgoonik Specialty Contractors, LLC..  Remediation...........................  Point Lonely, Oliktok    15-10
                                                                                Point, and Bullen
                                                                                Point DEW line sites.
North Slope Borough..................  Production............................  Barrow pipeline          15-12, 17-08
                                                                                upgrades.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc...........  Exploration...........................  Greater Moose's Tooth..  15-15
ARSC Exploration, LLC................  Exploration...........................  Placer Unit exploratory  15-16
                                                                                drilling.
Peak Oilfield Service Company, LLC...  Support services......................  Transportation           15-17, 17-01
                                                                                activities on the
                                                                                North Slope.
SAExploration, Inc...................  Exploration...........................  Aklaq seismic surveys    15-18, 16-03
                                                                                on Canning and Sag
                                                                                River.

[[Page 18330]]

 
Caelus Energy Alaska, LLC............  Exploration...........................  Tulimaniq Exploration    15-19, 16-09_a
                                                                                Program in Smith Bay.
Geokinetics, Inc.....................  Exploration...........................  ``Great Bear'' 3d        15-20
                                                                                seismic on North Slope.
Alaska Frontier Constructors, Inc....  Development...........................  Gravel removal in the    15-21
                                                                                Sag River.
ExxonMobil Alaska, LNG, LLC..........  Exploration...........................  Alaska LNG Project       16-02, 16-18
                                                                                surveys.
Marsh Creek, LLC.....................  Remediation...........................  Legacy wells-Cape        16-04, 16-21
                                                                                Simpson, Iko Bay,
                                                                                Barrow, and Avak.
ENI U.S. Operating Company, Inc......  Development...........................  Nakaitchuq North at Spy  16-05
                                                                                Island.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc...........  Exploration...........................  NPRA seismic             16-08
                                                                                exploration.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc...........  Exploration...........................  Exploration drilling...  16-09_b, 17-10
Fairweather, LLC.....................  Exploration...........................  Retrieval of mooring     16-10
                                                                                anchors in the
                                                                                Beaufort Sea.
Caelus Energy Alaska, LLC............  Production............................  Oooguruk Project.......  16-11
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc...........  Production............................  CPAI North Slope Alpine  16-13
                                                                                and Kuparuk.
BP Exploration (Alaska), Inc.........  Production............................  Prudhoe Bay............  16-14
Savant Alaska, LLC...................  Production............................  Badami Project.........  16-15
Hilcorp Alaska, LLC..................  Production............................  Milne Point, Endicott,   16-16
                                                                                and Northstar Units.
Olgoonik Construction Services, LLC..  Remediation...........................  Barrow legacy wells....  16-19
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc...........  Development...........................  GMT-1 Construction.....  16-20, 17-09
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company.....  Production............................  TAPS activities........  16-22
Armstrong Energy, LLC................  Exploration...........................  Colville River Delta     16-23
                                                                                drilling and geotech.
BEM Systems, Incorporated............  Remediation...........................  Oliktok radar site.....  17-03
BEM Systems, Incorporated............  Remediation...........................  Bullen Pt. radar site..  17-04
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc...........  Exploration...........................  ``Bear'' Winter Seismic  17-05
                                                                                East of Colville River.
BP Exploration (Alaska), Inc.........  Exploration...........................  2017 Liberty Bathymetry  17-07
                                                                                Survey.
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    On June 12, 2013, we published in the Federal Register a final rule 
(78 FR 35364) establishing regulations that allow us to authorize the 
nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of polar 
bears and Pacific walruses during year-round oil and gas industry 
exploration activities in the Chukchi Sea and adjacent western coast of 
Alaska. The rule established 50 CFR part 18 subpart I and is effective 
until June 11, 2018. 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 part 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                               LOA No.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shell Exploration and Production       Support services......................  2015/2016 ice            15-CS-01
 Company, Inc.                                                                  overflight surveys.
Shell Exploration and Production       Exploration...........................  Chukchi Sea exploration  15-CS-02
 Company, Inc.                                                                  drilling.
Fairweather, LLC.....................  Exploration...........................  Retrieval of Shell's     16-CS-01
                                                                                mooring anchors in the
                                                                                Chukchi Sea.
Olgoonik Fairweather, LLC............  Exploration...........................  Post Shell drillsite     16-CS-02
                                                                                monitoring.
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    Authority: We issue this notice under the authority of the MMPA 
(16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.).

    Dated: January 4, 2018.
Gregory E. Siekaniec,
Regional Director, Alaska Region.

    Editorial note: This document was received for publication by 
the Office of the Federal Register on April 23, 2018.

[FR Doc. 2018-08759 Filed 4-25-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 433-15-P