[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 130 (Monday, July 10, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43621-43622]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-14442]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. FWS-R7-ES-2023-0008; FF07CAMM00-FX-ES111607MRG01]


Marine Mammals; Letters of Authorization To Take Pacific Walruses 
and Polar Bears in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska, in 2022

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 issued letters of 
authorization (LOA) 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 in 2022. This notice announces the LOAs issued in 
calendar year 2022. The LOAs stipulate conditions and methods that 
minimize impacts to polar bears and Pacific walruses from these 
activities.

ADDRESSES: Document availability: You may view the letters of 
authorization at https://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-R7-
ES-2023-0008, or you may request them from the contact in FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles Hamilton, via U.S. mail at 
Marine Mammals Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS 341, 1011 
East Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503; by email at 
[email protected], or by telephone at 1-800-362-5148. Individuals 
in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have 
a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access 
telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United 
States should use the relay services offered within their country to 
make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 5, 2021, the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service (Service) published in the Federal Register a final 
rule (86 FR 42982) 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. These incidental take regulations are located 
in subpart J in part 18 of title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR) and are effective through August 5, 2026. The rule prescribed a 
process under which we issue letters of authorization (LOA) 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 the 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. No intentional take or lethal incidental take is 
authorized under these regulations.
    In accordance with section 101(a)(5)(A) of the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and our regulations at 50 CFR 
part 18, subpart J, in 2022, we issued LOAs to the companies in the 
Beaufort Sea and adjacent northern coast of Alaska shown in the table. 
The Service includes in the table all LOAs issued in 2022.

[[Page 43622]]



   Letters of Authorization Issued for Oil and Gas Development Activities in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska, in 2022
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                 Company                                Project                            LOA No.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ASRC Consulting and Environmental          Well drilling for a methane       22-01.
 Services.                                  hydrate project on the Kuparuk
                                            State 7-11-12 gravel pad within
                                            the Prudhoe Bay Unit on the
                                            North Slope of Alaska.
Conoco Philips Alaska Inc................  Incidental take of polar bears    22-02.
                                            that may occur during
                                            ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc.'s 3D
                                            seismic acquisition at and
                                            surrounding the Alpine CD1 Pad.
Eni U.S. Operating Company Inc...........  Oil and gas drilling and          22-03.
                                            production within the
                                            Nikaitchuq and Oooguruk Units
                                            on Alaska's North Slope.
Oil Search Alaska, LLC...................  Oil and gas exploration and       22-04.
                                            development within and adjacent
                                            to the Pikka Unit area and oil
                                            and gas exploration on Oil
                                            Search Alaska operated
                                            leaseholds on Alaska's North
                                            Slope.
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company.........  Operation and maintenance of the  22-05.
                                            Trans Alaska Pipeline System,
                                            which extends from Pump Station
                                            1 in the Prudhoe Bay Oilfield
                                            to the Valdez Marine Terminal.
ASRC Consulting and Environmental          Well drilling and production      22-06.
 Services.                                  test facility construction and
                                            operation for a methane hydrate
                                            project on the Kuparuk State 7-
                                            11-12 gravel pad within the
                                            Prudhoe Bay Unit on the North
                                            Slope of Alaska.
Glacier Oil and Gas......................  Incidental harassment of polar    22-07.
                                            bears and Pacific walrus that
                                            may occur during Glacier Oil
                                            and Gas Corporation's oil
                                            production, facilities and
                                            pipeline maintenance, workovers
                                            of existing wells, and
                                            construction and maintenance of
                                            ice roads associated with the
                                            Badami oilfield near Mikkelsen
                                            Bay in the North Slope.
Hilcorp Alaska, LLC......................  Year-round oil and gas            22-08.
                                            exploration, production,
                                            development, and support
                                            activities in the Milne Point,
                                            Duck Island (Endicott),
                                            Northstar Island, Prudhoe Bay,
                                            and Point Thomson operation
                                            areas located in the Beaufort
                                            Sea Incidental Take Regulations
                                            area of the North Slope of
                                            Alaska.
Conoco Philips Alaska Inc................  Incidental take of polar bears    22-09.
                                            and Pacific walrus that may
                                            occur during ConocoPhillips
                                            Alaska Inc.'s field-wide
                                            operations in the Kuparuk
                                            River, Western North Slope,
                                            Colville River, Greater Moose's
                                            Tooth, and Bear Tooth Units on
                                            the North Slope of Alaska.
Conoco Philips Alaska, Inc...............  The incidental take of polar      22-10.
                                            bears that may occur during
                                            ConocoPhillips Alaska Inc.'s
                                            year 1 construction activities
                                            and geotechnical investigations
                                            for the Willow Development
                                            Project located in the Bear
                                            Tooth, Greater Mooses Tooth,
                                            Colville River, Pikka, Southern
                                            Miluveach, and Kuparuk River
                                            Units of the North Slope of
                                            Alaska, as well as non-unitized
                                            lands east of the Colville
                                            River.
Hilcorp Alaska, LLC......................  An amendment dated March 9,       21-01 [Amended in 2022 from 2021].
                                            2022, to the letter of
                                            authorization (LOA) for the
                                            alteration of a previously
                                            covered tundra travel route
                                            extending from Deadhorse to
                                            Point Thomson and the addition
                                            of a secondary tundra travel
                                            route extending from the
                                            western portion of the Point
                                            Thomson Unit coastal route to
                                            the Bullen Point Staging Pad.
                                            The requested LOA is for the
                                            incidental take of polar bears
                                            and Pacific walrus that may
                                            occur during operational and
                                            tundra travel activities in
                                            support of the Point Thomson
                                            Production Facility on the
                                            North Slope of Alaska.
Oil Search Alaska, LLC...................  An amendment dated January 26,    21-03 [Amended in 2022 from 2021].
                                            2022, to the LOA 21-03
                                            [corrected] issued on October
                                            15, 2021, for the incidental
                                            take of small numbers of polar
                                            bears. The amended LOA is for
                                            the incidental take of small
                                            numbers of polar bears that may
                                            occur during Oil Search
                                            (Alaska) (OSA), LLC's
                                            activities associated with oil
                                            and gas exploration and
                                            development within and adjacent
                                            to the Pikka Unit area and oil
                                            and gas exploration on OSA-
                                            operated leaseholds on Alaska's
                                            North Slope. Planned activities
                                            occurred from January 28, 2022,
                                            to August 6, 2022.
Hilcorp Alaska, LLC......................  An amendment dated January 3,     21-05 [Amended in 2022 from 2021].
                                            2022, to the LOA issued on
                                            August 5, 2021, for the
                                            incidental take of polar bears
                                            and Pacific walrus. The Service
                                            considered additional
                                            information provided by Hilcorp
                                            Alaska, LLC, in the Milne
                                            Point, Duck Island (Endicott),
                                            Northstar Island, and Prudhoe
                                            Bay operation areas located in
                                            the Beaufort Sea Incidental
                                            Take Regulations Area of the
                                            North Slope of Alaska. Planned
                                            activities occurred from
                                            January 3, 2022, to August 5,
                                            2022.
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    Authority: We issue this notice under the authority of the Marine 
Mammal Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.).

Peter Fasbender,
Assistant Regional Director, Fisheries and Ecological Services, Alaska 
Region.
[FR Doc. 2023-14442 Filed 7-7-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P