Notice to Lessees (NTLs)

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.

Describes inspections to conduct and reports to prepare to address known and potential damages to OCS platforms and other floating structures (above and below waterline), disruption to and resumption of production operations, MODUs, subsea production safety systems, and pipelines caused by future Hurricanes or major storms.  

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.

Updates policy on platform inspection intervals, including guidance on conducting corrosion assessments, regulatory and document references and revises contact information for Gulf Regional office of Structural and Technical Support.

Clarifies definitions of sidetrack and bypass and provides instructions, exhibits, and guidance for naming subsea wells, completions, and wellbores.  Makes administrative and formatting changes to prior NTL.

Provides clarification on procedures for conducting ancillary activity, including at least 15 days' written notice to the regional office before initiating ancillary activity such as  deploying air guns or seismic arrays in water depths of 200 meters or greater; creating bottom disturbances, independent of water depth, including ocean bottom cable surveys, and time lapse (4D) surveys; and geotechnical evaluation involving piston/gravity-coring or the recovery of sediment specimens by grab-sampling or other similar technique, and dredging of the seafloor.

Provides guidance and instructions on disposal of E&P waste, worker safety when handling waste, and contents of applications to dispose of or store E&P wastes.   Includes worker safety guidelines for handling NORM waste when above background levels, and requires written disclosure of the lease number, area, block, and well number of any disposal wells.

Provides and consolidates guidance for avoidance and protection of biologically sensitive features and areas (e.g., coral reefs) when conducting OCS operations in water depths of less than 300 meters (984 feet).   Clarifies requirements to review existing and future EPs and DOCDs for "bottom disturbances" caused by use of anchors, chains, cables, wire ropes and pipelines, and to observe "no activity zones" identified by NOAA Fisheries.  The NTL is more protective because it changes the applicable water depth for protective measures from 400 meters to 300 meters.

Announces changes in prior NTL 2000-G20 to broaden scope to cover all high-density Deepwater benthic communities, defines Deepwater as 300 meters not 400 meters, increases the separation distance from muds and cuttings discharge from 1500 to 2000 feet and clarifies conditions of approval, and provides for additional 1000-foot buffer area around benthic communities beyond maximum anchor areas.  Clarifies that the NTL applies to pipe-lay vessels and chains, with option to reduce the distance requirements if no benthic communities actually exist in areas of impact.

Clarifies that a request for suspension received after the lease term has expired will be interpreted as a request for lease reinstatement, and that OCSLA does not give MMS authority to revive or reinstate lessees after they have expired.  A Memorandum by SOL supports this result. 

Notice to protect Federal production of minerals against loss or theft.  Reminds operators and platform and rig personnel that "theft or mishandling" includes tampering with or bypassing any component of the royalty measurement facility, and falsifying production measurements. 

Notifies lessees and operators of fees for pre-production royalty relief applications and possible audits, as part of DOI policy to encourage production of marginal resources.

Clarifies procedures for appeal of decisions and orders issued by MMS.  Contains advice for both informal resolution and formal appeal.

Provides information on reporting requirements for submittals made to satisfy regulations at 30 CFR 250, Subpart L (30 CFR 250.1202 -- 250.1204).  States preferred method of submittal is e-mail.

Informs lessees and operators of requirements and procedures for notifying MMS of changes in leases, pipelines, or ROW ownership or operatorship whether by name change or merger.

Describes information requirements for shallow water hazards reports and how these hazards apply to lift and jack-up boats, specifies group intervals for acquiring medium penetration seismic profiler information, and allows MODU or other vessels. to depart a location without fully raising its legs where no contact with pipelines may occur.   

Guidance on how to maintain equipment and materials necessary to ensure the protection of personnel, equipment, natural resources and the environment.  Defines managed pressure drilling consistent with IADC and UBO Committees; states the NTL will be "reviewed for revision when the IADC completes its recommended practice for MPD, surface BOPs and subsea BOPs."  

Guidance on required information to submit with Form MMS-123 and APDs to demonstrate the fitness of moored drilling rigs to conduct operations in the GOM OCS during hurricane season.  States MMS will use API Recommended Practice 2SK, Appendix K, 3rd edition. 

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. 

Outer Continental  Shelf (OCS) Inspection Program - March 1, 2008

Notice that failure to maintain lease holding operations may result in termination of a lease or unit by operation of law.   A suspension of production that is not resumed within 180 days and in "paying quantities" or in approved drilling or workover operations will result in legal forfeiture of the lease.   Clarifies terms "paying quantities" and provides for lease holding reviews by GOMR. 

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 purpose of this Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) is to provide information concerning new filing procedures in obtaining a determination of well producibility (effective with the date of the determination). This necessitates the replacement of NTL No. 2000-G04 Effective Date January 28, 2000. Changes in the lease addendums beginning with lease OCS G-22500 (Lease Sale 178) no longer transfer a lease into minimum royalty status when a well qualifies in accordance with 30 CFR 250.115 or 30 CFR 250.116. These leases remain in rental status and the annual rental payments for future lease years become payable at the end of the lease year, until the start of royalty bearing production. In the lease year that royalty bearing production begins, royalties become payable in accordance with the lease instrument which specifies the royalty rate and minimum royalty requirements.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION NTL No. 2007-G08 Effective Date: April 2, 2007 NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL AND GAS LEASES IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF, GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION Using a Motion Compensator when Conducting Coiled Tubing O

This Notice to Lessees and Operators and Pipeline Right-of-way Holders (NTL) is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103 to provide clarification and guidance for pipeline riser design, fabrication, and installation under the platform verification program specified in 30 CFR 250.909 through 918.

This Notice to Pipeline Right-of-way (ROW) Holders (NTL) is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.101(a) and 30 CFR 250.103 and in accordance with 15 CFR 930.53(d) to provide notice and assistance regarding your compliance with the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) Federal consistency regulations when submitting OCS ROW pipeline applications to the Minerals Management Service (MMS) Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR). This NTL supersedes NTL No. 2002-G15, effective December 20, 2002.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE GULF OF MEXICO REGION NTL No. 2007-G22 Effective Date: June 25, 2007 NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS (NTL) OF FEDERAL OIL AND GAS LEASES ON THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF (OCS), GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION Suspensions of Operations for Subsalt and Ultradee

Minerals Management Service (MMS) is offering a royalty relief program for hurricane projects in the Gulf of Mexico OCS pursuant to 30 CFR 203.1. To expedite the application review process, MMS will assume the pre-qualification requirements stated at 30 CFR 203.80 are met by applicants making requests under this initiative. Applications will be considered if the approval of royalty relief would meet the objective of the endof-life program (see 30 CFR 203.51, 203.83 and 203.84). End-of-life program guidelines for processing applications have been modified to accommodate characteristics unique to hurricane projects. This NTL provides guidance for preparing a complete application. "Hurricane project" is defined as a proposal to correct damage caused by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita. A project may consist of wells, platforms, pipelines, or other structures which were producing or capable of producing before the hurricane from one or more oil and gas reservoirs, located on one or more leases. The incentive is intended to encourage the production of marginal oil and gas reserves that are shut in due to hurricane damage, and for which resumption of production would not be economical in the absence of royalty relief.

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103. It establishes guidelines for new mudline suspension wells drilled and completed as dry tree tiebacks to the surface or converted to subsea wells after October 25, 2006. This NTL only applies to wells drilled from bottom-supported drilling rigs on the Gulf of Mexico shelf.

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.

This NTL is issued to clarify the timing for submitting a request tor a lease or unit suspension. Authority and Background Pursuant to 30 CFR 250.171, "You must submit your request tor a suspension to the Regional Supervisor, and MMS must receive the request before the end of the lease tenn (i.e., end of primary term, end of the 180-day period following the last leaseholding operation, and end of a current suspension)."

Archaeological resources are any material remains of human life or activities that are at least 50 years of age and that are of archaeological interest. Material remains include physical evidence of human habitation, occupation, use or activity including the site, location, or context in which such evidence is situated. Items of archaeological interest are those that may provide scientific or humanistic understanding of past human behavior, cultural adaptation, and related topics through the application of scientific or scholarly techniques.

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.

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103 to provide clarification and guidance for monitoring of bypassed production and pipeline safety devices.

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes our guideline letter on submittal of documents for platforms and structures, dated May 30, 1996.

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 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 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.

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) 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).

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.

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.

Clarifies reporting requirements for natural gas liquids and retrograde condensate that are recovered from qualified deep gas production

Describes data elements, parameters and reports, and computer modeling or spreadsheets that are required in a complete application for project royalty relief in conjunction with notice issued in November 2008 (73 FR 69490).  Supplements original guidelines in Deep Water Royalty Relief Act of 1996.

Clarifies information requirements for EPs, DPPs, and DOCDs across all OCS areas and in both shallow water (less than 500 feet) and Deepwater (over 500 feet).  Authorizes performance of rig-related workovers and certain drilling activity for which an APD is already approved, without submitting additional information.   Provides examples of new information required by BOEMRE in six attachments. 

Announces accident investigation results of pipeline damage caused by workboats dragging grappling hooks to try and retrieve a mooring buoy and its chain.  Reiterates warning sign criteria in prior NTL will remain in effect, and reminds lessees and operators that all signage must be properly displayed to boat traffic and maintained in legible condition.

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.

Guidance on how to implement monitoring programs to minimize risks of vessel strikes of protected species and report observations of injured or dead animals.   In place of formal observer program, the NTL provides guidelines to identify and avoid injury to marine mammals and sea turtles by reducing speed and maintaining appropriate distances from protected species.

This NTL is intented to provide clarification about the type of information you may provide for compliance with written follow-up report requirements in 30 CFR 254.46(b)(2).

Clarifies what types of information should be provided to BSEE in in written, follow up reports for oil spills or releases from platforms, vessels, or pipelines, schedules for submitting information.