Notices to Lessees and Operators (NTLs) are formal documents that provide clarification, description, or interpretation of a regulation or OCS standard; provide guidelines on the implementation of a special lease stipulation or regional requirement; provide a better understanding of the scope and meaning of a regulation by explaining BSEE interpretation of a requirement; or transmit administrative information such as current telephone listings and a change in BSEE personnel or office address. Letters to Lessees and Operators (LTLs) and Information to Lessees and Operators (ITLs) are also formal documents that provide additional information and clarification, or interpretation of a regulation, OCS standard, or regional requirement, or provide a better understanding of the scope and meaning of a regulation by explaining BSEE interpretation of a requirement.
To view expired or superseded NTLs, select a different NTL status and select submit.
This NTL provides updated guidance on inspections, reports, and plans to assess and address hurricane damage to Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) facilities and pipelines in the Gulf of America.
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Hurricane and Tropical Storm Effects Reports
Supersedes NTL No. 2009-G30 addressing this same topic
This NTL informs all stakeholders of an official terminology change regarding offshore operations, records, and communications to the geographic region previously designated as the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America.”
This NTL provides information on using BSEE’s electronic reporting system to report incidents, spills, and pipeline damage informationandspecifies the information that shouldbe included in the various required oral and written reports. In addition to providing general guidance applicable to all BSEE Regions, this NTL also provides guidance on requirements for reporting spills and incidents specific to the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
Incident and spill reporting requirements are found in BSEE regulations at30 CFR Part 250, Oil and Gas and Sulphur Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf,and 30 CFR Part 254, Oil-Spill Response Requirements for Facilities Located Seaward of the Coast Line. Sections 250.186 –250.190 provide detailed information and reporting requirements.
Reporting requirements related to pipeline repairs are located in 30 CFR Part 250, Subpart J. Pursuant to 30 CFR 250.1008(e), you must notify the BSEE Regional Supervisor before you repair a pipeline, or as soon as practicable, and submit payment of the service fee listed in 30 CFR 250.125.
Describes BSEE’s electronic reporting system for incidents, spills, and pipeline damage; states what information should be included in oral and written reports.
Clarifies definitions of Max Anticipated Surface Pressure for completion; how to handle a gas reservoir isolated by cement behind the production casing; describes when to use an oil gradient or gas gradient to calculate certain anticipated pressures prior to production.
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Drilling Operations (Subpart D), Well-Completion Operations (Subpart E), Well Operations and Equipment (Subpart G)
Title: Guidance for Information Submissions Regarding Proposed High Pressure and/or High Temperature (HPHT) Well Design, Completion, and Intervention Operations
Describes voluntary submissions pf plans and information prior to dates required by regulation, in order to aid BSEE's understanding of a DWOP, APD, or APM and thereby facilitate agency review of HPH well design, completion or intervention operations.
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General Requirements, Plans and Information, Well Operations and Equipment (Subpart G)
Title: Guidance for Information Submissions Regarding Site Specific and Non-Site Specific HPHT Equipment Design Verification Analysis and Design Validation Testing
Provides Guidance for use of well completion, well control & well intervention equipment, and trees and production equipment designed for high pressure/high temperature (HPHT) conditions.
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Oil & Gas Production Safety Systems, Plans and Information, Well Operations and Equipment (Subpart G)
Provides guidance for information needed to analyze alternate equipment requests for consider external hydrostatic pressure in the design and calculation of internal pressure containment capability of subsea equipment.
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General Requirements, Oil & Gas Production Safety Systems, Plans and Information, Platforms and Structures, Well Operations and Equipment (Subpart G)
Clarifies guidance for requesting SOPs and SOOs as part of a demonstration of "commitment to production" when a project involves technology development (e.g., HPHT equipment) and how operators may justify exceptions to policy against granting suspensions for phased development.
Information and guidance to streamline the submittal and approval process for Deepwater Operations Plans (DWOPs) and conceptual plans between BSEE and stakeholders representing lessees and operators. Includes electronic exchange of information in with BSEE in TIMS platform.
Information and guidance to streamline the submittal and approval of other operational notices and requests or reports such as lease suspensions, royalty relief, SEMs plans and performance, pipeline ROWs, and production measurement verification data, but excluding incident, oil spill, and permits request notifications which are part of NTL 2018-02.
Guidance on protection of personnel from effects of hydrogen sulfide gas, mitigation of property and environmental damage caused by H2S, and detection of H2S, and a collection of standards for compliance with gas monitoring and safety requirements.
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Oil & Gas Production Safety Systems, Plans and Information, Pollution Prevention and Control
Electronic submission of SEMS documents such as audit plans, audit reports, corrective action plans, performances measures data, and communications with BSEE regarding all submissions.
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Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS)
Identify ocean current data for planning, designing, and operating mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs), permanent floating production platforms, and their ancillary equipment (i.e., drilling risers, production risers, flowline and pipeline risers, tension leg platform (TLP) tendons, mooring systems). This data will allow BSEE to more accurately track loop currents and eddy currents.
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Plans and Information, Platforms and Structures, Well Operations and Equipment (Subpart G)
Clarifies how BSEE may require more detailed information from regulated entities for grants or assignments of Pipeline Rights-of-Way, and particularly for assignment to multiple grant holders .
On April 27, 2016, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) issued Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) No. 2016-N03, Reporting Requirements for Decommissioning Expenditures on the OCS, to provide guidance and clarification regarding regulatory requirements pertaining to the submission of certified decommissioning expenditure summaries following the permanent plugging of any well, removal of any platform or other facility, and clearance and verification of any site. BSEE amended its regulations addressing decommissioning expenditure reporting, effective December 16, 2016, by including requirements for the submittal of certified summaries of decommissioning expenditures for right-of-way (ROW) and lease term pipelines. The additional requirements concerning the submission of certified decommissioning expenditures summaries are found at 30 CFR 250.1704(i).1 As a practical matter, BSEE recognizes, and prefers, that the operator submit the required summary of decommissioning costs on behalf of the lessees, the owners of operating rights, or the pipeline ROW holders. The summaries must be submitted within 120 days after completion of each decommissioning activity.
Provides guidance and clarification regarding submission of certified decommissioning cost expenditure summaries following permanent plugging of any well, removal of any platform or other facility, clearance and verification of any site, and decommissioning of pipeline segments.
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL Nos. 2010-G02, 2010-P03, and related guidance on this subject. Pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is issuing this NTL to clarify and provide more detail about how to submit well records required by the Records and Reporting regulations at 30 CFR 250.740 – 250.745 (new section numbers as of July 28, 2016) for all OCS.
Clarify how to submit well records to BSEE with appropriate dates, locations, and region-specific requirements, using the eWell electronic well permitting system
Describes process for regulated entities to use electronic methods for responding to INCs, request time extensions, and rescissions with curative measures undertaken in lieu of submitting paper copies if INCS and letters.
This National Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) provides information and guidance about the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) electronic Production Facility Safety System Application submittal and tracking system.
Provides option to submit electronic records of production system safety compliance data to Gulf Region.
This NTL is being issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103, and 250.300, to provide information on the Offshore Operators Committee (OOC) marine trash and debris awareness training video and slide show. This NTL also provides the mailing and email addresses for submitting annual training reports. This NTL supersedes and replaces NTL No. 2012-GO1, effective January 1, 2012, on this subject and applies to all existing and future oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico OCS unless and until expressly superseded.
Provides BSEE email and physical address to submit annual training reports for prevention of marine debris discharge from platforms and vessels in ocean waters
This NTL provides guidance and clarification of the regulations related to cementing requirements and the steps necessary to address indications or identification of an inadequate cement job.
Clarifies regulations for cementing requirements and the steps necessary to address indications of inadequate cement job.
This NTL supersedes NTL No. 2011-G01. It provides guidance on using either e-mail or the eWell Permitting and Reporting System to report hurricane and tropical storm effects information, specifies the information included in the various hurricane and tropical storm reports, and makes minor administrative amendments.
Guidance on how to submit records of evacuation results, production shut-in measures, facility damages, and pollution reports, both via email and electronically.
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General Requirements, Hurricane and Tropical Storm Effects Reports
Effective June 1, 2015, the U.S. Treasury lowered the maximum dollar amount allowed for a credit card collection. The maximum amount that can be charged to a credit cared in one day has been lowered from $49,999.99 to $24,999.99; this change affects Pay.gov credit card payments. The ACH (electronic check) remittance is to be used for payments greater than $24,999.99.
Lowers amount that can charged on credit card transactions for purposes of paying fees to BSEE.
Title: Lessee and Operator Refueling Requirements for BSEE-contracted Helicopters
This NTL provides guidance lessees and operators providing helicopter landing sites and refueling facilities to helicopters BSEE uses to regulate offshore operations.
This NTL is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103 and superseded NTL No. 2007-G12, Contact with District Offices and Pipeline Section Outside Regular Work Hours, effective April 4, 2007. It updates the New Orleans, Houma, Lake Charles, and Lake Jackson District Offices addresses and also the Pipeline Section Address for the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR). Lastly, it also restates the after-hours flaring/venting contact information for the Resource Conservation Section (previously named the Rate Control Section) contained in NTL No. 2012-N04, Flaring and Venting Requests, in order to consolidate the BSEE GOMR after-hours contacts into a single NTL.
Updates contact information at district offices and pipeline section, and how to contact BSEE with after hours request for venting and flaring of gas.
This NTL supersedes NTL 2008-G22, effective November 19, 2008 and provides schedules for release of well data and information that is submitted to BSEE as described in NTL 2010-G02, effective March 3, 2010.
Announces release of well geological data and interpreted geological and geophysical information as provided at 30 CFR 250.197(b) for current leases and those no longer in effect.
This NTL supersedes NTL No. 2007-G15, effective May 14, 2007. This NTL updates the information and guidance about obtaining access to the eWell Permitting and Reporting System (eWell) and attaches and updated eWell Permitting and Reporting System Application Manual. (See NTL No. 2014-N03A for the manual).
Updates for e-Well Permitting and Reporting System and Manual, with availability of e-Well access for Alaskan and Pacific regions with secure website applications in lieu of paper forms.
