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To view expired or superseded NTLs, select a different NTL status and select submit.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 Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 2001-G06, effective July 26, 2001, on this subject. It makes technical amendments to the information you include in approval requests for a firefighting system using chemicals in lieu of a water system.
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) supersedes NTL No. 2001-G05, effective June 20, 2001, on this subject. It makes technical amendments regarding approvals and inoperable firewater systems.
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) regulation at 30 CFR 250.803(b)(8)(i) requires that you equip each OCS platform with a firewater system that provides needed protection in all areas where production-handling equipment is located. However, under 30 CFR 250.803(b)(8)(iii), you may use a fire prevention and control system that uses chemicals only in lieu of a firewater system if the appropriate Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) District Supervisor determines that the use of a chemical system provides equivalent fire protection and control for personnel egress.
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) is issued according to 30 CFR 250.103 and provides guidance with regard to remotely operated vehicle (ROV) surveys and reports in deepwater areas (water depths greater than 400 meters) of the Gulf of Mexico. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) has developed a strategy to ensure sound National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance for postlease activities in deepwater areas of the Central and Western Planning Areas of the Gulf of Mexico.
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) in June 1998 implemented the gas production verification program. Currently, the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) will continue to focus only on verifying production for the sales (royalty) meters.
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 2000-G08, effective March 1, 2000. It provides a new drilling window schedule. The Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR), after consultation with the U.S. Air Force, established a drilling window program in 1991 for exploratory activities on oil and gas leases that were obtained through Lease Sales
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 99-G15, dated June 30, 1999. It makes minor technical amendments, changes the second workshop date, and changes the information reporting date. The Environmental Protection Agency recently promulgated new, more stringent ambient air quality standards for ozone and is drafting regulations dealing with regional haze. These regulations will require State agencies to perform modeling for ozone and regional haze for use in their State Implementation Plans.
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 will hold a 1-day workshop on Damage Assessment of Synthetic Moorings. The recently issued API Recommended Practice on Synthetic Moorings (API RP2 SM) addresses the design of synthetic mooring lines, such as polyester ropes, for offshore floating facilities. However, that Recommended Practice does not provide specific guidelines regarding the assessment and mitigation of rope that is damaged during installation or service. In 1999, the MMS initiated a program through the Offshore Technology Research Center (OTRC) to develop guidelines to assess and mitigate damage of polyester mooring lines to support its use on deepwater oil and gas facilities. A comprehensive, multiphase plan was initiated to provide information for the development of practical engineering guidelines. Work on the initial phases is underway through the efforts of MMS, OTRC, Stress Engineering Services, and the Center for Engineering Applications of Composites.
The Minerals Management Service will hold a 1-day workshop on Damage Assessment of Synthetic Moorings. The recently issued API Recommended Practice on Synthetic Moorings (API RP2 SM) addresses the design of synthetic mooring lines, such as polyester ropes, for offshore floating facilities. However, that Recommended Practice does not provide specific guidelines regarding the assessment and mitigation of rope that is damaged during installation or service. In 1999, the MMS initiated a program through the Offshore Technology Research Center (OTRC) to develop guidelines to assess and mitigate damage of polyester mooring lines to support its use on deepwater oil and gas facilities. A comprehensive, multiphase plan was initiated to provide information for the development of practical engineering guidelines. Work on the initial phases is underway through the efforts of MMS, OTRC, Stress Engineering Services, and the Center for Engineering Applications of Composites.
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 Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL 98-8N. We have increased the number of copies of a DWOP that lessees/operators (you) should submit but have made no other substantive changes. This NTL continues to address all deepwater development projects (water depths greater than 1,000 feet) and all projects utilizing subsea production technology. Projects that rely solely on the use of conventional fixed-leg platforms for development do not need a DWOP. NTL 98-8N provided a new set of guidelines that were structured to be more user friendly and to answer many of your commonly asked questions.
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act as amended requires the prompt and efficient exploration and development of your leased block. As such, you are expected to explore, develop and commence production within the initial period of any offshore Federal lease. However, under certain criteria, you may request a lease or unit suspension, which extends the term of the lease or unit. For the purposes of this document, all references made to a lease may also apply to a unit.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE NTL No. 2000-N04 Effective Date: September 15, 2000 Recision Date: April 1, 2001 NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL, GAS, AND SULPHUR LEASES IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Guidelines for Crane and Rigging Operations on Fixed Offshore OCS F
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 98-10N. On August 14, 2000, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) published in the Federal Register (65 FR 49485) final regulations revising 30 CFR 250, Subpart O, Well Control and Production Safety Training. The MMS has distributed the published final rulemaking to lessees and operators and the training schools.
The Minerals Management Service will hold a 2-day workshop to assess worldwide operational experiences for FPSOs on June 7 & 8, 2000, in Houston, Texas. The objectives of the workshop are to (1) promote an open and comprehensive discussion of experiences and concerns based on FPSO operations worldwide, (2) identify operational and regulatory issues and successful practices that have resulted from this experience, and (3) identify mitigation measures or technology needs to address these concerns. The MMS has contracted the Offshore Technology Research Center (OTRC) at Texas A&M University to organize the workshop on our behalf. The event will be cosponsored by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the industry organization, DeepStar.
The Minerals Management Service has changed the date and location of the 1-day workshop on crane safety due to the large number of participants that registered for the workshop. The new date is Tuesday, March 28, 2000. The location has been moved to the Holiday Inn Holidome in Lafayette, Louisiana.
The current geophysical processing and imaging technology may require longer than normal timeframes to provide an accurate image of a potential subsalt objective. The application of 3D pre-stack depth migration technology is critical to successful subsalt imaging and potential hydrocarbon reservoir identification. If circumstances warrant, this NTL would allow you to maintain your lease past its term by granting additional time, pursuant to 30 CFR 250.180(e), to refine subsalt imaging techniques as well as the processing and interpretation of such imaging. This lease extension applies to a Gulf of Mexico lease that has a subsalt objective as evidenced by either geophysical imaging or geologic information, or both, provided to us by you.
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL 2000-G10, issued April 27, 2000, effective on May 30, 2000, and makes minor technical amendments, primarily to Appendix F. The following table summarizes the items affected by the changes:
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 98-11, effective August 10, 1998, and is being issued to make technical amendments. The purpose of this NTL is to provide a consistent and comprehensive approach to protecting high-density chemosynthetic communities from damage caused by oil and gas activities.
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 99-G14, dated June 30, 1999. It makes minor technical amendments, refers to the Minerals Management Service (MMS), Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) internet website, and amends the data collection and reporting period for the emissions inventory. Some interests are concerned that emissions from OCS activities may be significantly affecting the air quality of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge/Wilderness Area (BWA), a Prevention of Significant Deterioration Class I Area.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION NTL No. 2000-G18 Effective Date: November 21, 2000 Expiration Date: November 30, 2001 NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL, GAS, AND SULPHUR LEASES IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF, GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION Meteorolo
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 98-04, dated June 8, 1998. It provides regulatory citations and makes minor technical amendments. Under 30 CFR 250.192, you must submit statistics regarding evacuation of personnel and curtailment of production due to hurricanes, tropical storms, or other natural disasters to the Minerals Management Service (MMS) Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR). The MMS GOMR uses this information to inform the U. S. Coast Guard of rescue needs and oil spills and to notify the news media and interested public entities who monitor shut-in production.
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).
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL 98-22, dated October 5, 1998. It updates regulatory authorities, makes minor technical changes, and revises contact numbers. Introduction The regulations at 30 CFR 250 and 30 CFR 254 require you to obtain various drilling, production, and pipeline approvals from and make notifications to the Minerals Management Service (MMS) Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR). The purpose of this NTL is to describe the procedures you can use when you must contact a GOMR district office or the GOMR Pipeline Section to fulfill these requirements at times other than during regular office hours. Direct calls and telefaxes regarding drilling or production activities to the appropriate GOMR district office. See the Attachment to this NTL for description of the areas of responsibility for the various GOMR district offices. Please note that you must make your contacts regarding activities in the Corpus Christi Subdistrict to the Lake Jackson District. Direct calls and telefaxes regarding OCS pipeline operations to the GOMR Pipeline Section.
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) in June 1998 implemented the gas production verification program. Currently, 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 (formerly 30 CFR 250.183), Gas Measurement, we require you to submit copies of the monthly gas volume statements for sales meters
Pollution Inspection Intervals for Unmanned Facilities
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 2000-G05, dated February 2, 2000, and makes minor technical amendments. According to 30 CFR 250.301(a), you must inspect production facilities daily or at intervals approved or prescribed by the District Supervisor to determine if pollution is occurring. Under this authority, the appropriate Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) District Supervisor may use the following matrix and evaluation code to determine the pollution inspection interval for an individual unmanned facility.
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes the following Letters to Lessees and Operators (LTL): Title Date Issued 1. No. of Copies Required for Certain POE’s and DOCD’s October 3, 1985 2. POE and DOCD Requirements October 12, 1988 3. Modification of POE and DOCD Requirements September 5, 1989 4. Louisiana CZM Public Notice Requirements September 27, 1989 5. Revised Oil Spill Trajectory Analysis Maps November 4, 1991 6. Limitation of Rig Information in POE’s and DOCD’s December 31, 1991 7. Proposed Well Locations in POE’s and DOCD’s November 2, 1992 8. Approval Authority for Unit POE’s and DOCD’s May 2, 1994 9. Standardized Air Emissions Reporting Format (I) May 5, 1994 10. Standardized Air Emissions Reporting Format (II) August 31, 1994 11. Timely Filing of POE’s and DOCD’s January 6, 1995 This NTL also supersedes NTL 98-21, Guidelines for Preparing Environmental Reports/Information, dated September 15, 1998.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION NTL No. 2000-G09 Effective Date: March 29, 2000 NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL, GAS, AND SULPHUR LEASES IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF, GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION Production Safety Systems Requirements This Not
This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 98-28, dated December 1, 1998. It provides the new drilling window schedule and updates regulatory citations. Drilling Window Program The Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR), after consultation with the U.S. Air Force, established a drilling window program in 1991 for exploratory activities on oil and gas leases that were obtained through Lease Sales Nos. 79, 94, and 116 and that contain Lease Stipulation No. 5. In accordance with this lease stipulation, the drilling window program ensures that exploration activities can be conducted predictably, orderly, and safely without interfering with scheduled military activities or jeopardizing the national defense mission.
Recently, an incident occurred on a drillship that had the potential for causing a serious well control event. An employee was attempting to conduct a function test of the blind-shear rams. However, he inadvertently pushed the lower marine riser package (LMRP) button instead of the blind-shear ram button on the control panel. Since the LMRP button was not part of the primary or emergency disconnect sequence, the pod stabs did not retract and the blind-shear rams did not close. The disconnect allowed the release of drilling mud from the riser. Fortunately, the wellbore was cased, and a well control event caused by a loss of riser hydrostatics did not occur.
According to 30 CFR 250.301(a), you must inspect production facilities daily or at intervals approved or prescribed by the District Supervisor to determine if pollution is occurring. Under this authority, the appropriate Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) District Supervisor will use the following matrix and evaluation code to determine the pollution inspection interval for an individual unmanned facility:
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).
This Notice to Lessees and Operators and Pipeline Right-of-way Holders (NTL) supersedes NTL 2000-G01, effective January 27, 2000. It is identical to that NTL except that it lists the office of primary functional responsibility for 30 CFR 253, Oil Spill Financial Responsibilities for Offshore Facilities, as Leasing and Environment instead of Field Operations.
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 and Pipeline Right-of-way Holders (NTL) supersedes NTL 93-04 dated September 30, 1993. Since that NTL was issued, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) has made many changes to the regulations governing OCS operations. These changes include a total redesignation (renumbering) of the 30 CFR 250 regulations and the addition of two new Parts, 30 CFR 253 and 30 CFR 254. Also, final regulations have just been published that reorganize Subpart A of 30 CFR 250 (64 FR 72756, December 28, 1999). This NTL updates the regulatory citations and functional responsibilities in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) and adds a statement on the Paperwork Reduction Act.
The 1999 Minerals Management Service (MMS) Industry Awards Program and Luncheon are scheduled for Friday, April 14, 2000, at the Hotel Sofitel in Houston, Texas. This is the second year that MMS will honor the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas industry for exemplary safety records and diligence in royalty payments. It is being expanded to include the Secretary of the Interior’s Minerals Revenue Stewardship Award. A variety of awards recognize the many facets of offshore oil and gas leasing, operations, and royalty management.
The purpose of this notice is to provide information on changes to the MMS Offshore Minerals Management appeals process. On May 13, 1999, the U. S. Department of the Interior= s MMS and Office of Hearings and Appeals published in the Federal Register, Volume 64, Number 92, Page Nos. 26240-26262, a final rule that amends certain parts of the rules governing the appeal of orders or decisions from the MMS Offshore Minerals Management and Royalty Management Programs.
On April 13, 1999, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NAADC) and the United States Space Command (USSC) jointly issued a news release. The news release discusses the Global Positioning System and two upcoming events that may affect its performance--the GPS EOW rollover and Y2K issues. Of these two events, the EOW rollover occurs sooner. On August 22, 1999, any non-compliant GPS receiver will fail to operate.
This NTL supersedes NTL 98-17N and amends the guidelines for applying for royalty relief. As we stated in earlier NTLs on royalty relief, we expect to periodically update these guidelines to reflect our experience in processing applications. Under 30 CFR Part 203, certain lessees may apply to MMS for a suspension of royalty payments or a reduced royalty rate by submitting a complete application. We describe the specific data elements, parameters, reports and computer model or spreadsheets in a complete application in two separate Appendices to this NTL. These guidelines are Appendix I: GUIDELINES FOR THE APPLICATION, REVIEW, APPROVAL, AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE DEEP WATER ROYALTY RELIEF PROGRAM and Appendix II: GUIDELINES FOR THE APPLICATION, REVIEW, APPROVAL, AND ADMINISTRATION OF ROYALTY RELIEF FOR END-OF-LIFE LEASES. They also explain the procedures we will follow for evaluating applications and implementing royalty relief.
