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.
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This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103 and supersedes NTL No. 97-07, dated March 1, 1997, on this subject. It makes minor technical corrections; updates regulatory citations; adds standard conditions for well workovers, completions, and recompletions; and provides for the use of a new form for reporting rig movements.
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL 98-05, dated July 1, 1998, on this subject. It reminds operators of the new notification and confirmation requirement for “eligible” leases, which was established in the final rulemaking revising the 30 CFR part 260 regulations (66 FR11512, published February 23, 2001). It also makes other minor changes and updates regulatory citations. We previously issued NTL 98-05 in response to questions concerning deepwater royalty relief for eligible leases.
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL 99-G21, “Platform Removal Applications,” dated September 13, 1999; and NTL 99-G08, “Removing Underwater Casing Stubs,” dated May 10, 1999. It changes current policy regarding the explosive removal of well casings and casing stubs, provides information on Federal requirements for protecting endangered and threatened species and marine mammals, adds and modifies information to be included in structure removal method applications, and makes minor technical amendments.
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) is issued pursuant to regulations at 30 CFR 250. 194; 30 CFR 250.201; 30 CFR 250.203;30 CFR 250.204: 30 CFR 250.1007(a)(5) and 30 CFR 250. 1010(c) and supersedes NTL OO-A03, dated February 7, 2000.
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) in June 1998 implemented the gas production verification program. The Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) will continue to focus only on verifying production for the sales (royalty) meters. Under the requirements of 30 CFR 250.1203(b)(6) and (b)(8), you must provide MMS (when requested) with copies of the monthly gas volume statements for those meters used to determine gas sold and/or transferred. Unlike the previous sampling process, the Regional Supervisor is now requesting monthly gas volume statements from all operators starting January 2004 to be submitted on a monthly basis. You must submit these statements by the last day of the month following production to Mr. Paul Marsh at 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70123. Please also provide the name and telephone number of your contact person. Failure to submit your gas volume statements in the time frame requested will result in the issuance of an Incident of Non-Compliance.
This Notice to Lessees (NTL) is issued pursuant to 30 CFR Part 251 and 30 CFR 250.103 to provide detailed procedures for the submission, inspection and selection of geophysical data and information collected under a permit in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) OC objective of these procedures is to ensure MMS has timely access to certain geophysical data and information for use in determinin adequacy of bids received at GOM OCS lease sales.
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) informs lessees and operators that the Minerals Management Service (MMS), Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR), Office for Production and Development will now be performing economic and conservation evaluations of requests to abandon producing zones and to bypass a zone upon the initial completion or recompletion. These evaluations will ensure that economic zones are not prematurely abandoned and confirm that no significant hydrocarbon bearing zones are being bypassed to the detriment of ultimate recovery. This NTL also specifies the average production rates above which additional information must be submitted before you abandon a zone pursuant to 30 CFR 250.1712(a), or recomplete to a new zone pursuant 30 CFR 250.613(c).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL AND GAS LEASES IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF, GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION Clarification of Eastern Gulf of Mexico Sale 181 Military Areas Stipulation The U.S. Department of the In
This NTL clarifies how the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) will implement the requirements for general lease surety bonds contained in 30 CFR 256, Subpart I. These securities are necessary to ensure that you fully comply with regulatory and lease requirements to include rents, royalties, environmental damage and clean-up activities not related to oil spills, abandonment and site-clearance, and other lease obligations.
The purpose of this NTL is to convey to you the changing policies and procedures of the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) regarding downhole commingling of production from separate reservoirs in a wellbore as addressed in 30 CFR 250.1106 (formerly 30 CFR 250.176). These evolving policies are a direct result of the changing economic, technological, and operating environments present in today's offshore development and production activities
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL 99-G02 and updates the economic assumptions published in it. These new economic assumptions update Section b of the Economic Viability and Relief Justification Report. We require the applicant (you) to use these assumptions when applying for deepwater royalty relief. Together with these new assumptions, you must use a new version of the economic model, as specified in the table below, for applications submitted after the effective date of this NTL (until future updates, see below).
The purpose of this Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) is to provide information concerning new and simplified filing procedures in obtaining a determination of well producibility, and subsequent placement of the lease into a minimum-royalty status (effective with the date of the determination).
The Minerals Management Service (MMS), along with six oil and gas companies, is planning a controlled deepwater release of oil and gas in the deep waters of the Norwegian Sea. The objectives of this study (called Deepspill) are to gather field data to calibrate computer models that predict oil and gas behavior and transport when oil and gas are released at the seafloor through the water column; to test the scalability of laboratory experiments; and to field test the suitability of various underwater surveillance systems for monitoring and tracking underwater releases.
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes the Letter to Lessees and Operators dated April 15, 1993, on this subject. It includes a statement on the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. As published in the Federal Register on May 1, 1991 (56 FR 20020), the Minerals Management Service (MMS) has prescribed an implementation plan for the conversion of the North American Datum (NAD) 27 to NAD 83. This NTL summarizes the phases for this conversion in the Gulf of Mexico.
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) amends Section 10 and Appendix H of the Attachment to NTL No. 98-30, titled “Guidelines for Preparing Regional Oil Spill Response Plans.” It makes minor technical amendments, establishes the Flower Garden Banks Oil Spill Planning Area and provides for obtaining real-time onsite meteorological information in the event of a spill there, and establishes two new types of worst case discharge scenarios.
This addendum to Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) No. 98-18, Change of Address for the Submittal of Certain Drilling Well Records in Accordance with 30 CFR 250.416, dated September 1, 1998, is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103 and notifies you of a change in the name and address of the agent receiving certain well records on behalf of the Minerals Management Service (MMS).
Clarifies the policy on availability and inspection of electronically stored records for tests of installed surface and subsurface safety devices "at the lessee's field office nearest to the OCS facility or other locations convenient to the District Manager" within the meaning of 30 CFR 804(b) and 1630(b). Encourages use of electronic record systems to manage inspections and follow-up activity via request for alternate compliance procedure under 30 CFR 250.141.
The Chief, Office ofFacilities, Safety and Enforcement (OFSE) requires all Pacific OCS Region (POCSR) lessees or right-of-way applicants (you) to perform an analysis of seafloor and subsurface geologic and manmade hazards of all areas considered for production platforms and pipelines (30 CFR 250.242(b), 250.906 and 250.1007 (a)(5)). Hazards analysis is the process ofidentifying and evaluating conditions that might affect the safety ofproposed operations or conditions that might be affected by the proposed operations.
Provides clarification of regulatory requirements for safe and environmentally sound use of subsea pumping as a minerals recovery method in subsea development projects. Sets forth information requirements for DWOPs (and revisions of DWOPs). Describes examples of equipment and procedures sufficient to meet current expectations of safe, protective operations.
Active
Oil & Gas Production Safety Systems, Pipelines and Pipeline Rights-of-Way, Plans and Information
Clarifies information regarding the interpretation of Hydrogen Sulfide presence determinations using NACE Standard MR0175-2003. Restates adoption of the NACE standard as best available and safest technology [BAST] for when use of equipment to prevent sulfide cracking and stress corrosion is required at OCS worksites.
Active
Pollution Prevention and Control, Well Operations and Equipment
Clarifies that all pipeline location information is to be reported and submitted in North American Datum (NAD) 27, so as to ensure that surface location data and final location plats for drilling activities, wells, platforms and pipelines are sufficiently accurate.
Offers guidance for when you must shut-in producible wells during rig moves or move a skid or drilling unit between wells as supported by a platform. The NTL describes various types of rigs and phases of rig movement, and specifies when wells must be shut in and how to delineate the documentation provided to MMS.
Active
Decommissioning Activities, Oil and Gas Drilling Operations, Oil and Gas Well Completion Operations, Oil and Gas Well Workover Operations
Updates prior NTL to specify requirement to use a checklist of information regarding jack-up rig fitness using Form MMS-123 to assure the rig is capable of performing at the proposed location. Clarifies the MMS form is based on information provided at API Recommended Practice 95J.
