[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 189 (Monday, October 2, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67801-67803]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21679]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket Number: BOEM-2023-0053]
Call for Information and Nominations for Western, Central, and
Eastern Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sales
for 2024-2029
AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Interior
ACTION: Call for information and nominations, request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issues this Call
for Information and Nominations (Call) covering proposed Gulf of Mexico
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). Those sales are described in the 2024-2029 National
Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program (2024-2029
National OCS Program), which BOEM announced on September 29, 2023. This
Call solicits industry nominations of acreage for possible inclusion in
future sales and requests information from the public on the Call Area
for lease sale planning. Specifically, BOEM seeks information on
geological conditions, archaeological sites, potential use conflicts,
areas of special concern, and other socioeconomic, biological, and
environmental information. This Call is not a final decision to lease
and does not prejudge any future secretarial decisions concerning
leasing in the Gulf of Mexico.
DATES: All nominations and comments must be received by BOEM or
postmarked no later than November 1, 2023.
ADDRESSES:
Public Comment 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-2023-0053'' and then click
``search.'' Follow the instructions to submit public comments and to
view supporting and related materials available for this notice.
2. U.S. Postal Service or other delivery service to the following
address: Chief of Leasing and Financial Responsibility Section, BOEM,
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Mail Stop GM
266A, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394, telephone (504) 736-7502. Send
your comments in an envelope clearly labeled ``Comments on the Call for
Information and Nominations for 2024-2029 Gulf of Mexico Lease Sales.''
3. Email: [email protected]
Nominations and Indications of Interest 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: Chief of Leasing and Financial
Responsibility Section, BOEM, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood
Park Blvd., Mail Stop GM 266A, New Orleans, LA 70123-2394, telephone
(504) 736-7502. Consistent with subsection 6 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 2024-2029
Gulf of Mexico Lease Sales.'' Do not send nominations, indications of
interest, or other proprietary information through the Federal
eRulemaking Portal or to the email address provided above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bridgette Duplantis, Chief of Leasing
and Financial Responsibility Section, BOEM, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region,
1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Mail Stop GM 266A, New Orleans, Louisiana
70123-2394, telephone (504) 736-7502, email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
2024-2029 National OCS Program Development: Information on the
development of the 2024-2029 National OCS Program and its programmatic
environmental impact statement (PEIS) is available on BOEM's website
at: https://www.boem.gov/National-OCS-Program/.
Environmental Review Process: BOEM intends to prepare a PEIS, in
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), analyzing
a representative Gulf of Mexico proposed lease sale and reasonable
alternatives. The PEIS will be supplemented as necessary for individual
decisions on all future Gulf of Mexico lease sales included in the
2024-2029 National OCS Program.
The PEIS will evaluate the potential effects that oil and gas
activities resulting from a lease sale could have on the human, marine,
and coastal environments. The PEIS may propose measures and lease
stipulations to mitigate adverse impacts for the alternatives being
analyzed. Consultations will be conducted, as appropriate. Consultation
with Tribal Nations, States, and Federal agencies address BOEM
obligations under the Coastal Zone Management Act, Endangered Species
Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act,
section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and Executive
Order 13175, ``Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal
Governments.'' The results of these consultations assist the Secretary
in leasing decisions.
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 recommend an area 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 Notice of Sale (PNOS): If BOEM proceeds with the
leasing process after Area Identification and environmental analysis,
it will publish a Notice of Availability of a PNOS in the Federal
Register. BOEM also will send the PNOS to the Governors of affected
States for comment and
[[Page 67802]]
recommendations on the size, timing, and location of the proposed sale.
The PNOS describes the size, timing, and location of the proposed sale;
provides additional information on the areas 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 Notice of Sale (FNOS): If BOEM decides to proceed with
leasing, it will publish a FNOS in the Federal Register at least 30
days before the date of the lease sale. The FNOS describes the place,
time, and methods for filing, opening, and publicly announcing bids. It
also contains a description of the areas 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. 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 regulation at 30 CFR 556.301.
2. Purpose of the Call
The purpose of this Call is twofold. First, this Call solicits
industry nominations for areas of leasing interest. Second, this Call
requests comments and information from the public on the areas that
should be included in the proposed oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf
of Mexico included in the 2024-2029 National OCS 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 use conflicts 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 higher 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.
3. Description of the Call Area
The Call Area is identical to the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) area
included in the 2024-2029 National OCS Program and includes the entire
WPA, CPA, and EPA, except areas withdrawn by the President. The Call
Area excludes areas withdrawn pursuant to section 12 of OCSLA (43
U.S.C. 1341) by Presidential memoranda dated September 8, 2020,
(withdrawing the bulk of the EPA and a portion of the CPA) and July 17,
2008, (withdrawing the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
within the boundaries that existed on July 14, 2008).
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 the south by the maritime boundary with Mexico as
established by treaties between the United States and Mexico. BOEM is
seeking nominations and comments on the entire WPA, which consists of
approximately 28.58 million acres, of which approximately 26.45 million
acres are currently unleased.
The CPA is bound on the west by the WPA's eastern boundary and 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 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. BOEM is seeking nominations and comments on the
area within the CPA not subject to Presidential withdrawal
(approximately 64.47 million acres, of which approximately 56.86
million acres are currently unleased).
The Call Area includes two small sections of the EPA not subject to
the 2020 Presidential withdrawal. See https://www.boem.gov/oil-gas-energy/leasing/areas-under-restriction/ for a map and description of
the areas under restriction. The first section of the EPA included in
the Call and not subject to withdrawal is bound on the west and north
by the CPA, on the east by the Military Mission Line (86.68[deg] W
longitude), and 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. The second section of the EPA included in the Call and
not subject to withdrawal is a triangular-shaped area bound on the
north by the southern boundary of the Lease Sale 181 area, on the east
by the Military Mission Line (86.68[deg] W longitude), and to the south
and west by the CPA boundary. All blocks in both sections are more than
125 miles offshore. BOEM is seeking nominations and comments on these
two sections of the EPA. Together, these two sections comprise
approximately 1.05 million acres, all of which are currently unleased.
A map depicting the Call Area is available for download on the BOEM
website at: http://www.boem.gov/2024-2029/Call-for-Information/. Copies
of Official Protraction Diagrams (OPDs) also are available for download
on the BOEM website at: https://www.boem.gov/Maps-and-GIS-Data/.
4. Targeted Leasing
BOEM requests comments and nominations for the entire Call Area.
However, the GOM hosts many other uses of the OCS, some of which may
conflict with oil and gas leasing or associated activities. Therefore,
consideration of a targeted leasing approach is warranted.
Under a targeted leasing approach, GOM areas proposed for leasing
could be further refined and narrowed based on public input and
analysis during the planning and environmental review stages. A
targeted leasing approach could, for example, remove biologically
sensitive areas, areas that serve as unique habitat, and areas that
conflict with other uses of the marine environment, such as those areas
used for commercial fishing, sand resources, or future wind energy
development. This targeted approach could also offer lease sales in
areas with the highest resource potential while appropriately weighing
environmental protection and other uses of the ocean and seabed,
consistent with OCSLA. A targeted approach could also be considered in
light of section 50265(b)(2) of the Inflation Reduction Act. That
section requires BOEM to offer at least 60 million OCS acres for oil
and gas leasing within the 12 months prior to issuing an offshore wind
lease.
[[Page 67803]]
BOEM seeks comments on implementing targeted leasing and
information on areas of specific interest within the Call Area as it
continues analyzing areas most suitable for oil and gas leasing.
5. Instructions on Responding to the Call
BOEM requests parties interested in leasing any whole or partial
blocks within the Call Area to indicate their interest in, and comment
on, blocks that they would like included in a proposed lease sale.
Parties should explicitly nominate whole or partial blocks and rank
them using the following indicators: 1 [high], 2 [medium], or 3 [low].
Parties are encouraged to be as specific as possible in prioritizing
blocks and supporting nominations with detailed information, such as
relevant geologic, geophysical, and economic data. BOEM will consider
as low priority areas where interest has been indicated but not
prioritized.
Parties may also nominate blocks 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 6, ``Protection of Privileged, Proprietary, and
Personal Information,'' regarding protection and release of information
and how to submit proprietary information.
BOEM also seeks comments from the public 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
particular OCS blocks.
6. Protection of Privileged, Proprietary, and Personal 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. Therefore, BOEM will
not release information that identifies any particular nomination with
any particular party, so as not to compromise the competitive position
of any participants.
Please be aware that BOEM's practice is to make all other comments,
including the names and addresses of individuals, available for public
inspection. Before including your address, phone number, email address,
or other personally identifiable information in your comment, please be
advised that your entire comment, including your personally
identifiable information, may be made publicly available at any time.
For BOEM to consider withholding from disclosure your personally
identifiable information, you must identify, in a cover letter, any
information contained in 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.
Even if BOEM withholds your information in the context of this
Call, your submission is subject to the FOIA. If your submission is
requested under the FOIA, your information will only be withheld if
BOEM determines that one of the FOIA exemptions to disclosure applies.
Such a determination will be made in accordance with the Department's
FOIA regulations and applicable law.
BOEM will make available for public inspection all comments, in
their entirety, submitted by organizations and businesses (except as
provided above for proprietary information) or by individuals
identifying themselves as representatives of organizations or
businesses.
Elizabeth Klein,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2023-21679 Filed 9-29-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P