[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 246 (Wednesday, December 26, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66300-66302]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-27876]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM-2018-0065]


Outer Continental Shelf, Western, Central, and Eastern Gulf of 
Mexico, Oil and Gas Lease Sales for Years 2019-2024

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior.

ACTION: Call for Information and Nominations.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is issuing a Call 
for Information and Nominations (Call) covering up to ten proposed 
Region-wide oil and gas lease sales in the available portions of the 
Western, Central, and Eastern Gulf of Mexico Planning Areas (WPA, CPA, 
and EPA, respectively), as included in the 2019-2024 National Outer 
Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program 
(2019-2024 National Draft Proposed Program), which BOEM announced on 
January 4, 2018.

DATES: All nominations and comments submitted in response to this Call 
must be received by BOEM no later than January 25, 2019. BOEM will 
consider submissions sent by mail so long as they are postmarked by the 
last day of the comment period.

ADDRESSES: 
    Public Comment Submission Procedures: All public comments should be 
submitted through one of the following methods:
    1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. In the 
field entitled, ``Search,'' enter ``BOEM-2018-0065'' and then click 
``search.'' Follow the instructions to submit public comments and view 
supporting and related materials available for this notice;
    2. U.S. Postal Service or other delivery service to the following 
address: Dr. S. Erin O'Reilly Vaughan, Chief, Leasing and Financial 
Responsibility Section, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of 
Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Mail Stop GM235D, New 
Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394. Send your comments in an envelope 
clearly labelled, ``Comments on the Call for Information and 
Nominations for Proposed 2019-2024 Gulf of Mexico Region-wide Lease 
Sales.''
    Nominations/Indications of Industry Interest Submission Procedures: 
To ensure security and confidentiality of proprietary information to 
the maximum extent possible, please send nominations/indications of 
interest and other proprietary information to Dr. S. Erin O'Reilly 
Vaughan, Chief, Leasing and Financial Responsibility Section, Bureau of 
Ocean Energy Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park 
Boulevard, Mail Stop GM235D, New Orleans, LA 70123-2394. Consistent 
with subsection 5 in the ``Call For Information and Nominations'' 
section of this Call below, you should mark all documents and every 
page containing such information with ``Confidential--Contains 
Proprietary Information.'' Send your nominations in an envelope clearly 
labeled, ``Nominations for Proposed 2019-2024 Gulf of Mexico Region-
wide Lease Sales.'' Do not send indications of interest or other 
proprietary information through the Federal eRulemaking Portal.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. S. Erin O'Reilly Vaughan, Chief, 
Leasing and Financial Responsibility Section, Bureau of Ocean Energy 
Management, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, 
Mail Stop GM 235D, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394, telephone (504) 
736-1759.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this Call is to solicit 
comments from industry and the public on: (a) Industry nominations of 
acreage for possible inclusion in the proposed sales; and (b) 
information on the Call Area for consideration in planning for these 
proposed OCS oil and gas lease sales, including geological conditions, 
archaeological sites, potential use conflicts in the Call Area, areas 
of special concern and analysis, and other socioeconomic, biological 
and environmental information. Because the first Gulf of Mexico Region-
wide lease sale in the 2019-2024 National Draft Proposed Program is 
proposed to occur in 2020, and given the long lead time needed to 
prepare for a proposed sale, BOEM must initiate the planning process 
before the National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program (2019-2024 National 
Program) has been finalized. This Call is not a decision to lease and 
does not prejudge any future Secretarial decision concerning areas to 
be made available for leasing under the 2019-2024 National Program.
    2019-2024 Program Development: On January 4, 2018, the Department 
of the Interior announced the release of the 2019-2024 National Draft 
Proposed Program and published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare a 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the 2019-2024 
National Program. Information on the development of the proposed 2019-
2024 National Program and PEIS is available on BOEM's website at: 
https://www.boem.gov/National-OCS-Program/.
    Because the first Gulf of Mexico Region-wide sale in the 2019-2024 
National Draft Proposed Program is tentatively proposed to occur near 
the beginning of the lease sale schedule, and given the long lead time 
needed to prepare for a proposed oil and gas lease sale, the 
administrative and environmental review processes for this sale must 
occur simultaneously and in close coordination with the

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development of the 2019-2024 National Program.
    This Call should not be construed as a prejudgment by the Secretary 
concerning whether to schedule a lease sale in this area under the 
2019-2024 National Program. This Call does not indicate a preliminary 
decision to lease in the areas described herein. BOEM will use the 
information and nominations received in response to this Call to 
identify the areas to be carried forward for analysis and potential 
inclusion in future oil and gas leasing. Multiple steps would be 
required prior to holding any lease sale, including but not limited to: 
inclusion of this sale in the approved 2019-2024 National Program, 
completion of environmental analyses and statutory requirements, and 
issuance of Proposed and Final Notices of Sale (NOS).
    Environmental Review Process: BOEM intends to prepare a Multisale 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), covering the proposed lease sales 
included in this Call. BOEM will also prepare a Supplemental EIS, which 
will inform decisions for the proposed lease sales scheduled for 2020 
in the Gulf of Mexico, as currently scheduled in the 2017-2022 National 
Program and which are also proposed in the 2019-2024 National Draft 
Proposed Program. The Multisale EIS and Supplemental EIS will evaluate 
the potential effects that oil and gas activities resulting from these 
lease sales could have on the human, marine, and coastal environments, 
and may propose measures and lease stipulations to mitigate adverse 
impacts for the options being analyzed. Several consultations will be 
conducted concurrently with the NEPA process. As appropriate, these may 
include consultations under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Section 106 
of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and Executive Order 
13175--``Consultation and Coordination with Tribal Governments.'' The 
results of these consultations will assist BOEM in its leasing 
decisions. The Supplemental EIS may be supplemented if necessary for 
decisions on future Gulf of Mexico proposed Region-wide lease sales.
    BOEM's Leasing Process: BOEM's regulations for planning and holding 
an oil and gas lease sale are found at 30 CFR 556.300-309. These 
regulations include the following steps:
    (1) Call for Information and Nominations: See section below.
    (2) Area Identification: Based on the information and nominations 
submitted in response to this Call, BOEM will develop a recommendation 
of the area proposed for further leasing consideration and 
environmental analysis. Upon approval by the Secretary, BOEM will 
announce the proposed area identified for leasing in the Federal 
Register, in accordance with 30 CFR 556.302(a)(3).
    (3) Proposed NOS: If BOEM proceeds with consideration of leasing 
after completion of Area Identification and environmental analysis, it 
will publish a Notice of Availability of a Proposed NOS in the Federal 
Register and send the Proposed NOS to the Governors of affected states 
for comment and recommendations on the size, timing, and location of 
the proposed sale. The Proposed NOS describes the size, timing, and 
location of the proposed sale, provides additional information on the 
area(s) proposed for leasing, lists proposed lease terms and conditions 
of the sale, and provides proposed stipulations to mitigate potential 
adverse impacts on the environment and other uses of the area.
    (4) Final NOS: If BOEM decides to proceed with leasing, it will 
publish a Final NOS in the Federal Register at least 30 days before the 
date of the lease sale. The Final NOS will describe the place, time, 
and method for filing bids and the place, date, and hour for opening 
and publicly announcing bids. It will also contain a description of the 
area(s) offered for lease, the lease terms and conditions of the sale, 
and stipulations to mitigate potential adverse impacts on the 
environment and other uses of the area.

Call for Information and Nominations

1. Purpose of Call

    The purpose of this Call is to solicit industry nominations for 
areas of leasing interest and to gather comments and information from 
the public on the area(s) that should be included in the proposed OCS 
oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico under the 2019-2024 
National Draft Proposed Program. Pursuant to 30 CFR 556.301, BOEM seeks 
comments from industry and the public on:
    (a) Industry interest in the Call Area, including nominations or 
indications of interest in specific blocks within the Call Area;
    (b) geological conditions, including bottom hazards;
    (c) archaeological sites on the seabed or near shore;
    (d) potential multiple uses in the Call Area, including navigation, 
recreation, and fisheries;
    (e) areas that should receive special concern and analysis; and
    (f) other socioeconomic, biological, and environmental information.
    BOEM will consider information submitted in response to this Call 
to:
     Inform the Area Identification process under 30 CFR 
556.302;
     prioritize areas with potential for oil and gas 
development;
     develop potential lease terms and conditions;
     identify potential use conflicts and potential mitigation 
measures; and
     assist in BOEM's planning and environmental review 
process.

2. Description of the Call Area

    The GOM Region-wide sale area of this Call includes the entire CPA, 
WPA, and EPA, except for those areas currently subject to the Gulf of 
Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (GOMESA, Pub. L. 109-432) 
moratorium.
    The CPA is bound on the north by the Federal-State boundaries 
offshore Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The eastern boundary of 
the CPA begins at the offshore boundary between Alabama and Florida and 
proceeds southeasterly to 26.19[deg] N latitude, thence southwesterly 
to 25.6[deg] N latitude. The western boundary of the CPA begins at the 
offshore boundary between Texas and Louisiana and proceeds 
southeasterly to 28.43[deg] N latitude, thence south-southwesterly to 
27.49[deg] N latitude, thence south-southeasterly to 25.80[deg] N 
latitude. The CPA is bound on the south by the maritime boundary with 
Mexico as established by the Treaty between the Government of the 
United States of America and the Government of the United Mexican 
States on the Delimitation of the Continental Shelf in the Western Gulf 
of Mexico beyond 200 Nautical Miles, which took effect in January 2001, 
and by the limit of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone in the area east 
of the continental shelf boundary with Mexico. BOEM is seeking 
nominations and comments at this time on the entire CPA, which consists 
of approximately 66.45 million acres, of which approximately 50.26 
million acres are currently unleased.
    The WPA is bound on the west and north by the Federal-State 
boundary offshore Texas. The eastern boundary begins at the offshore 
boundary between Texas and Louisiana and proceeds southeasterly to 
28.43[deg] N latitude, thence south-southwesterly to 27.49[deg] N 
latitude, thence south-southeasterly to 25.80[deg] N latitude. The WPA 
is bound on

[[Page 66302]]

the south by the maritime boundary with Mexico as established by the 
Treaty between the Government of the United States of America and the 
Government of the United Mexican States on the Delimitation of the 
Continental Shelf in the Western Gulf of Mexico beyond 200 nautical 
miles, which took effect in January 2001. BOEM is seeking nominations 
and comments at this time on the entire WPA, which consists of 
approximately 28.58 million acres, of which approximately 26.10 million 
acres are currently unleased.
    The GOM Region-wide sale area includes a small section of the EPA 
that is not subject to the GOMESA moratorium, which currently runs 
until June 30, 2022. See https://www.boem.gov/Areas-Under-Moratoria/ 
for a map and description of the GOMESA Moratorium Area. The portion of 
the EPA not subject to Congressional moratorium is bound on the east by 
the Military Mission Line (86[deg]41' W longitude), on the south by 
blocks that are beyond the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone in the area 
known as the northern portion of the Eastern Gap, and on the west by 
the CPA. BOEM is seeking nominations and comments at this time on the 
portion of the EPA that is not subject to the GOMESA moratorium. The 
portion of the EPA not subject to the moratorium consists of 
approximately 657,905 acres, of which approximately 606,995 acres are 
currently unleased.
    A map depicting the Call Area is available for download on the BOEM 
website at: http://www.boem.gov/Multi-Sale2020. Copies of Official 
Protraction Diagrams (OPDs) also are available for download on the BOEM 
website at: https://www.boem.gov/Maps-and-GIS-Data/.

3. Instructions on the Call

    Parties interested in leasing one or more whole or partial blocks 
within the Call Area are requested to indicate their interest in, and 
comment on, blocks within the boundaries of the Call Area that they 
wish to have included in the proposed lease sale. Respondents should 
explicitly outline the areas of interest along block lines and rank the 
areas or specific blocks in which they are interested, according to 
their priority, using the following indicators: 1 [high], 2 [medium], 
or 3 [low]. Respondents are encouraged to be as specific as possible in 
prioritizing blocks and supporting nominations of specific blocks with 
detailed information, such as relevant geologic, geophysical, and 
economic data. Areas where interest has been indicated, but on which 
respondents have not indicated priorities, will be considered low 
priority. Respondents may also submit a list of blocks nominated by OPD 
and Leasing Map designations to ensure correct interpretation of their 
nominations. OPDs and Leasing Maps are available on BOEM's website at 
https://www.boem.gov/Maps-and-GIS-Data/. See subsection 5, ``Protection 
of Privileged or Proprietary Information,'' regarding protection and 
release of information and how to mark and submit proprietary 
information.
    BOEM also seeks comments from all interested parties regarding 
particular geological, environmental, biological, archaeological, and 
socioeconomic conditions; potential use conflicts, or other information 
about conditions that could affect the potential leasing and 
development of particular areas. Comments may refer to broad areas or 
may refer to particular OCS blocks.

4. Protection of Privileged or Proprietary Information

    BOEM will protect privileged or proprietary information in 
accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and OCSLA 
requirements. To avoid inadvertent release of such information, you 
should mark all documents and every page containing such information 
with ``Confidential--Contains Proprietary Information.'' To the extent 
a document contains a mix of proprietary and nonproprietary 
information, you should clearly mark the document to indicate which 
portion of the document is proprietary and which is not. Exemption 4 of 
FOIA applies to trade secrets and commercial or financial information 
that you submit that is privileged or confidential. BOEM considers 
nominations of specific blocks to be proprietary, and therefore will 
not release information that identifies any particular nomination with 
any particular party, so as not to compromise the competitive position 
of any participants in the process of indicating interest.
    However, please be aware that BOEM's practice is to make all 
comments, including the names and addresses of individuals, available 
for public inspection. Before including your address, phone number, 
email address, or other personal identifying information in your 
comment, please be advised that your entire comment, including your 
personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any 
time. In order for BOEM to withhold from disclosure your personal 
identifying information, you must identify any information contained in 
the submission of your comments that, if released, would constitute a 
clearly unwarranted invasion of your personal privacy. You must also 
briefly describe any possible harmful consequences of the disclosure of 
information, such as embarrassment, injury or other harm. Although you 
can ask us in your comment to withhold from public review your personal 
identifying information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do 
so. BOEM will make available for public inspection, in their entirety, 
all comments submitted by organizations and businesses, or by 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives of organizations 
or businesses.

    Authority: This Call is published pursuant to the Outer 
Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), as amended (43 U.S.C. 1331-
1356) and the implementing regulations at 30 CFR part 556.301.

    Dated: December 19, 2018.
Walter D. Cruickshank,
Acting Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2018-27876 Filed 12-21-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P