Notice to Lessees (NTLs)

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 92-1N, effective date of September 11, 1992. It is being issued to update the regulatory citation and to include a statement regarding the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This NTL is issued in accordance with the Regional Supervisor's authority to approve suspensions of production (SOP), pursuant to 30 CFR 250.101(a)(5) for the development of marginal reserves which are uneconomical at present market conditions.

This notice supersedes NTL 88-11, effective February 1, 1989, and makes minor technical amendments, updates the cited regulatory authorities, Scientists have recently discovered deepwater (greater than 400 meters) chemosynthetic organisms in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Chemosynthetic communities are assemblages of tubeworms, clams, mussels, bacteria mats, and other associated organisms. Many of the species, while similar to those of other deepwater areas, including the vent communities of the Galapagos Ridge, are new to science.

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 94-1N, dated December 1, 1994, that announced the transfer of the management of the day-to-day operation of the Lessee Training Program (LTP) from the Minerals Management Service (MMS) Headquarters to the regional offices.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION NTL No. 98-10 Effective Date: August 10, 1998 NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL, GAS, AND SULPHUR LEASES IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF, GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION Best Available Control Technology (Sulphur Dioxid

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE NTL No. 98-9N (Addendum 1) Effective Date: July 17, 1998 Rescission Date: December 31, 1998 NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL AND GAS AND SULPHUR LEASES IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Redesignation of 30 CFR Part 250--Oil and Gas and Sulp

The purpose of the Deepwater Operations Plan (DWOP) is to provide sufficient information to review the deepwater development project from a “total system” approach, emphasizing operational safety and environmental protection. Conservation issues are not part of the DWOP and are to be addressed as part of the Supplemental POE or DOCD submittals as outlined in Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) 96-6N, “Conservation Information.”

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) issued Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) 96-4N with an effective date of August 19, 1996. That NTL alerted lessees/operators (you) that MMS now requires a Deepwater Operations Plan (DWOP) for all deepwater development projects (water depths greater than 1,000 feet) and all projects utilizing subsea production technology. This present NTL supersedes NTL 96-4N and provides a new set of guidelines (attached) addressing 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.

This notice supersedes Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) 97-02, dated January 23, 1997, and amends the title, deletes the specific compliance deadlines, updates the cited regulatory authorities, and includes a statement regarding the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The purpose of this Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) is to remind operators of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) leases that API RP 2A was first incorporated by reference into Minerals Management Service (MMS) operating regulations in 1988; and the 10-year (maximum) period during which a Level III survey must be performed for fixed platforms will end this year. Therefore, for manned platforms that have not received a Level III survey since 1988, such a survey must be performed and reported on by November 1, 1998, as a part of the required Annual Inspection Report.

This notice supersedes Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) 97-10, dated April 8, 1997, and updates the cited regulatory authorities and includes a statement regarding the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. By guideline letter dated November 5, 1993, the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR), among other things, established procedures requiring that a supplemental Exploration Plan, Development Operations Coordination Document, or Development and Production Plan be submitted in all cases where an applicant seeks the approval of the drilling of a well or the installation of a platform, and where more than three years since the planned starting date of that activity stated in the approved plan have elapsed. The GOMR established these procedures, in part, to provide a mechanism to ensure that sufficient lease bond coverage was in place, particularly in those cases where lease operatorship had changed. Although the GOMR has granted exceptions to these procedures, they have remained in effect since that time.

This notice supersedes Notice to Lessees and Operators and Pipeline Right-of-way Holders (NTL) 91-02, dated December 20, 1991, and makes minor technical amendments, updates cited regulatory authorities, and includes a statement regarding the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. We have deleted Section I of Enclosure No. 1, Requirements for Archaeological Field Surveys, except for one sentence because the procedures addressed therein are now adequately covered by 30 CFR 250.126(a).

This Notice to Lessees (NTL) replaces NTL No. 96-3N and details information on fees for royalty relief or adjustment applications and possible audits, as well as when and how you make payments to the Minerals Management Service (MMS). We will periodically update the fees to reflect changes in costs as well as provide information needed for administering the royalty relief program.

We are issuing this Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) in response to questions concerning deepwater royalty relief for “eligible” leases. An eligible lease, as defined in 30 CFR 260.102, is a lease that:

• results from a sale held after November 28, 1995;
• is located in the Gulf of Mexico in water depths 200 meters or deeper;
• lies wholly west of 87 degrees, 30 minutes West longitude; and
• is offered subject to a royalty-suspension volume.

Interim Guidance for Applying “Simplified Fatigue Analysis” Procedure from American Petroleum Institute (API) Recommended Practice 2A (RP 2A), “Planning, Designing, and Constructing Fixed Offshore Platforms,” Nineteenth Edition (August 1, 1991) and Twentieth Edition (July 1, 1993) and its Supplement 1 (February 1, 1997). In a letter to the Minerals Management Service (MMS) dated October 2, 1998, the API has advised that a number of questions have arisen regarding interpretation of the “simplified fatigue analysis” procedure

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION NTL No. 98-04 Effective Date: June 8, 1998 NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL, GAS, AND SULPHUR LEASES IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF, GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION Hurricane and Tropical Storm Evacuation and Producti

Houma District Office Hours and Telephone Call Procedures This supersedes our Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) No. 96-01 dated January 16, 1996, on the above subject.

The purpose of this notice is to provide updated information on the OCS Civil Penalties Program. This NTL replaces the assessment matrix provided in NTL No. 96-7N. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 requires the Secretary of the Interior to adjust the maximum civil penalty to reflect any increases in the Consumer Price Index.

The purpose of this notice is to inform lessees and operators of federal oil, gas, and sulphur leases on the outer continental shelf that the Minerals Management Service (MMS) will annually publish a summary of OCS civil penalties paid. The annual summary will highlight the identity of the party, the regulation violated, and the amount paid. Publication of the annual summary of civil penalties for the preceding calendar year will begin in 1998.

UThis Notice to Lessees and Operators informs operators that deepwater royalty relief applications must be submitted timely to allow the Minerals Management Service (MMS) the maximum time, in accordance with the deepwater royalty relief regulations (30 CFR 203), to deem an application complete, evaluate the application, and make a final determination before the expiration or termination date of the lease. The MMS has 20 working days to deem an application complete, followed by a 180-day period for evaluation and final action. A royalty relief application received late in the lease term is not justification for the granting of Suspensions of Production or Operations for leases or units included in a field. Initial suspension requests, or any extensions thereof, will be considered for approval consistent with suspension regulations (30 CFR 250, Subpart A) and procedures, and independent of any royalty relief application.

In response to inquiries by lessees, the purpose of this notice is to provide guidance concerning adequate measures for the prevention of pollution from bolted and welded storage tanks on OCS facilities in order to meet the requirement of 30 CFR 250.40(b)(3).

This Notice to Lessees and Operators conveys and clarifies Minerals Management Service (MMS) policy regarding the production of a well completion within 500 feet of a unit or lease line. The MMS regulations contained in 30 CFR 250.171(b) require that prior approval be obtained from the Regional Supervisor, Production and Development, before commencing production from a well completion located within 500 feet of a unit or lease line for which the unit, lease, or royalty interests are not the same. An operator seeking such approval must furnish letters expressing acceptance or objection from operators of offset properties.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION NTL No. 97-15 June 27, 1997 NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL, GAS, AND SULPHUR LEASES AND PIPELINE RIGHT-OF-WAY HOLDERS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF, GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION Interim Guidance for Regional Oil

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION NTL No. 97-14 Effective: May 19, 1997 NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL AND GAS LEASES IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF, GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION Lafayette District Address, Office Hours, and Phone Call Procedures

The economic assumptions originally established in the Guidelines for the Application, Review, Approval, and Administration of the Deepwater Royalty Relief Program dated June 26, 1996, have been updated effective April 1, 1997. These new economic assumptions, which are listed and discussed below, replace Section b of the Economic Viability Report. The Minerals Management Service requires the applicant to use these assumptions when applying for deepwater royalty relief.

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) rescinds NTL 73-4, dated June 1, 1973, and NTL 89-02, dated March 30, 1989. The Gulf of Mexico OCS Region recognizes the need to provide security handling for all proprietary well logs and data. Since June 1, 1973, NTL 73-4, a Special Security Handling was also provided for wellbore data collected within 2,000 feet of open or unleased acreage. This service was modified by NTL 89-02 to limit the time that access to these data would be restricted within the Minerals Management Service (MMS). Under NTL 89-02, the access was restricted until after the open acreage was included in a lease sale offering, the data’s proprietary term expired pursuant to 30 CFR 250.18, a determination was made pursuant to 30 CFR 250.11 that the well was capable of producing in paying quantities, or the lease involved was placed on production, whichever occurred first. This resulted in a period of restricted access to these data of less than 12 months.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL, GAS, AND SULPHUR LEASES ON THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF, GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION NTL 97-09 Date: April 7, 1997 HYDROGEN SULFIDE (H2S) REQUIREMENTS The purpose of this notice is

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) facilitates the distribution of the newly revised Conditions of Approval to Drill, Sidetrack and/or Complete for Oil or Gas Production. All wells spudded or sidetracked and/or completed after the effective date of this NTL are subject to the attached Conditions of Approval to Drill, Sidetrack and/or Complete for Oil and Gas Production revised February 1, 1997.

This Notice to Lessees and Operators is issued to remind operators of the requirement to timely submit complete drilling well records. In numerous instances, final composites of openhole log surveys, velocity surveys, directional surveys, formation test data, paleontological reports, core analyses, Well Summary Reports, and/or other required information are being submitted incomplete, are not being timely submitted, or in some instances are not being submitted at all. As provided in 30 CFR 250.66, such data are to be submitted within 30 days after termination of the suspension or temporary prohibition or within 30 days after the completion of each wellbore.

This Notice to lessees and Operators (NTL) informs you of a new incorporation by reference in the MMS operating regulations. The 19th edition of API RP 2A, “Recommended Practice for Planning, Designing, and Constructing Fixed Offshore Platforms” (dated August 1, 1991), is now incorporated by reference in 30 CFR 250. MMS announced this change in the Federal Register on November 26, 1996 (Vol. 61, No. 229, Pages 60019-26) and it was effective on December 26, 1996. You must now use the 19th edition of API RP 2A in designing and constructing new platforms.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION NTL No. 97-04 January 31, 1997 NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL, GAS, AND SULPHUR LEASES IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF, GULF OF MEXICO REGION Addition of Blocks to the Thirty-fifth Drilling Window By Letter to

The purpose of this notice is to inform lessees and operators of federal oil, gas, and sulphur leases on the OCS that the Minerals Management Service (MMS) will conduct an Annual Performance Review of each operator. This annual review will examine the following areas: the operator's history of compliance as it relates to the MMS Inspection Program, any action that MMS has forwarded for review or has resulted in a civil penalty, the operator's safety record as it relates to accidents and incidents, and the operator's progress in implementing a Safety and Environmental Management Program

Important Notice—This NTL includes as an attachment 15 pages of line drawings. Because of the size of the digital file containing them (almost 10 megabytes), it is not possible to include them here. Information on how to obtain them can be found in a note at the end of this document. The complete text, however, of the

Pursuant to the authority of 30 CFR 250.45(k) and 30 CFR 250.46(g), lessees and operators of each production facility located within 100 kilometers of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge/Wilderness Area were directed by Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) No. 96-04, dated August 14, 1996, to collect and report on a monthly basis air pollutant emissions information for each facility from December 1, 1996, to December 31, 1997. off

The purpose of this notice is to provide information on the OCS Civil Penalties Program. Changes have occurred both in the law governing the civil penalties program and in the Minerals Management Service (MMS) policy concerning civil penalty assessments

The provisions of 30 CFR 250.41(a) require that lessees inspect drilling and production facilities daily for the occurrence of pollution. Alternatively, lessees may conduct these required inspections at intervals approved or prescribed by the District Supervisor.
In determining the pollution inspection frequency, the District Supervisor takes into account the facility's performance history, the type and volume of production, operating pressures, processing systems, the potential for hydrogen sulphide gas releases, the effectiveness of the operator's safety management program, and other risk and performance information.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION NTL 96-10 December 5, 1996 NOTICE TO PIPELINE RIGHT-OF-WAY HOLDERS IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION Air Emissions Information for Applications for Accessory Platforms to Pipeline Rights-of-way This Not

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION NTL No. 96-08 Effective Date: November 25, 1996 NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL AND GAS LEASES IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF, GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION Time Allowed for the Correction of Incidents of Noncompli

Rate Control Section Address, Office Hours, & Telephone Procedures This supersedes our Notice to Lessees and Operators No. 95-02 dated June 12, 1995, on the above subject

New Orleans District Office Hours and Phone Call Procedures This supersedes our Notice of Lessees and Operators No. 95-07, dated November 27, 1995, on the above subject.

In early April 1996, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) began granting departures for testing BOP equipment on a 14-day interval. The purpose for these departures was to gather data on BOP performance. The MMS and five oil and gas trade organizations hired a contractor to analyze these data and prepare a report on BOP performance. The MMS will use the study to determine if a 14-day test interval provides an equal or better degree of protection, safety, and performance when compared to the current requirement for a 7-day test interval.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION NTL No. 96-04 August 15, 1996 NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL, GAS, AND SULPHUR LEASES IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF, GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION Air Pollutant Emissions Reporting Requirements Concerns have been

Operators on the Federal Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) must obtain approval from the Minerals Management Service (MMS) for the storage or sub-seabed disposal of wastes generated from oil and gas development on the OCS. (30 CFR 250 Subpart G). This Notice to Lessees (NTL) provides standardized guidelines for all applications for the offshore storage and sub-seabed disposal of solid wastes generated from oil and gas development on the OCS in the Gulf of Mexico Region. This NTL applies only to OCS oil and gas wastes which are exempt exploration and production wastes under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Additionally it outlines specific guidelines for wastes which contain naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) above background levels.

Lake Jackson District Address, Office Hours, and Phone Call Procedures This supersedes our Notice to Lessees and Operators No. 93-03, dated August 3, 1993, on the above subject.

The provisions of 30 CFR 250.126 (b) (2) require that lessees notify the Deputy Associate Director for Offshore Operations when a subsurface safety valve is removed from service for a failure or malfunction, or when an underwater safety valve or surface safety valve is removed from service for remanufacture. Once notified, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) removes the affected valve from the master inventory list of safety and pollution prevention equipment (SPPE) provided by each lessee.

This notice supersedes Paragraph No. 17 of our clarification letter dated April 18, 1991, concerning Pipeline Unit notification procedures. The notifications required by 30 CFR 250.158 paragraphs (a), (c), (d), and (e) shall be made by calling the Pipeline Unit, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., at (504) 736-2545, FAX (504) 736-2426. If a serious accident, death or serious injury, fire, explosion, oil spill, or gas leak involves a lease term or right-of-way grant pipeline, notification shall be made immediately by calling the Pipeline Unit during office hours at (504) 736-2545

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION NTL No. 94-02 February 24, 1994 NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL, GAS, AND SULPHUR LEASES IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF, GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION Air Emissions Reporting Requirements In accordance with the req

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) is provided pursuant to the authority prescribed in 30 CFR §§ 250.4, Jurisdiction, and 256.1, Purpose. This NTL is also based upon the provisions of 30 CFR § 250.8, Designation of operator; 30 CFR Part 250, Subpart G, Abandonment of Wells, particularly provisions of §§ 250.110, General requirements, 250.112, Permanent abandonment, 250.114, Site clearance verification, and 250.143, Platform removal and location clearance; 30 CFR § 256.62, Assignment of leases or interests therein; and section 22 of the lease agreement which pertains to removal of property on termination of the lease.

This NTL sets forth interim procedures for applying for certification of oil spill financial responsibility for OCS offshore facilities. New superseding regulations, when finalized, will implement the requirement for proof of the higher amount of financial responsibility required by section 1016(c)(1) of OPA 90.

The final rule published in the Federal Register, Vol. 58, No. 184, dated September 24, 1993, describes the newly revised Minerals Management Service (MMS) reporting forms and associated regulation changes which are effective October 25, 1993. Among these newly approved forms is the Form MMS-128, "Semiannual Well Test Report," which is replacing the previous Forms MMS-1869, "Quarterly Oil Well Test Report," and MMS-1870, "Semiannual Gas Well Test Report."

Concerning current regulations, 30 CFR 250, "Oil, Gas, and Sulphur Operations"; 30 CFR 251, "Geological and Geophysical (G&G) Exploration of the Outer Continental Shelf"; 30 CFR 256, "OCS Minerals and Right-of-Way Management"; and 30 CFR 260, "OCS Oil and Gas Leasing," this notice is provided to delineate the appropriate portion of the Gulf of Mexico OCS Region organization that is responsible for the various functions and requirements contained therein.