65408 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 208 / Friday, October 26, 2012 / Notices 

Dated: September 12, 2012. 

Sherry Hutt, 

Designated Federal Officer, Native American 

Graves Protection and Repatriation Review 

Committee. 

[FR Doc. 2012–26320 Filed 10–25–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–50–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Western 

Planning Area (WPA) Gulf of Mexico 

(GOM) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 229 

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management (BOEM), Interior. 

ACTION: Final Notice of Sale 

SUMMARY: On Wednesday, November 

28, 2012, BOEM will open and publicly 

announce bids received for the blocks 

offered in the Western Planning Area 

(WPA) Sale 229, in accordance with 

provisions of the OCS Lands Act 

(OCSLA) (43 U.S.C. 1331–1356, as 

amended) and the regulations issued 

thereunder (30 CFR part 556). The Final 

Notice of Sale (NOS) 229 Package (Final 

NOS Package) contains information 

essential to potential bidders, and 

bidders are charged with the knowledge 

of the documents contained in that 

package. The Final NOS Package may be 

obtained from BOEM, as provided 

below. 

DATES: Public bid reading for WPA Sale 

229 will begin at 9 a.m., Wednesday, 

November 28, 2012, at the MercedesBenz Superdome, 1500 Sugarbowl 

Drive, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112. 

The lease sale will be held in the St. 

Charles Club Room on the second floor 

(Loge Level). Entry to the Superdome 

will be on the Poydras Street side of the 

building through Gate A on the Ground 

Level, and parking will be available at 

Garage 6. All times referred to in this 

document are local New Orleans times, 

unless otherwise specified. 

ADDRESSES: Interested parties can obtain 

a Final NOS Package by writing, calling, 

or visiting the Web site: Gulf of Mexico 

Region Public Information Office, 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 

1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New 

Orleans, Louisiana 70123–2394, (504) 

736–2519 or (800) 200–GULF. BOEM 

Internet Web site at:http:// 

www.boem.gov/About-BOEM/BOEMRegions/Gulf-of-Mexico-Region/ 

Index.aspx. 

Filing of Bids: Bidders must submit 

sealed bids to the address below, 

between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on normal 

working days, and from 8 a.m. to the 

Bid Submission Deadline of 10:00 a.m. 

on Tuesday, November 27, 2012, the 

day before the lease sale. If bids are 

mailed, please address the envelope 

containing all of the sealed bids as 

follows: 

Attention: Leasing and Financial 

Responsibility Section, BOEM Gulf 

of Mexico Region, 1201 Elmwood 

Park Boulevard, New Orleans, 

Louisiana 70123–2394. 

Contains Sealed Bids for WPA Oil and 

Gas Lease Sale 229 

Please Deliver to Ms. Cindy Thibodeaux 

or Ms. Kasey Couture, 2nd Floor, 

Immediately 

Please Note: 1. Bidders mailing bids are 

advised to call Ms. Cindy Thibodeaux at 

(504) 736–2809, or Ms. Kasey Couture at 

(504) 736–2909, immediately after putting 

their bids in the mail. If BOEM receives bids 

later than the Bid Submission Deadline, the 

BOEM Regional Director (BOEM RD) will 

return those bids unopened to bidders. 

Should an unexpected event such as flooding 

or travel restrictions be significantly 

disruptive to bid submission, BOEM may 

extend the Bid Submission Deadline. Bidders 

may call (504) 736–0557 or access the BOEM 

Gulf of Mexico Internet Web site at http:// 

www.boem.gov/About-BOEM/BOEM-Regions/ 

Gulf-of-Mexico-Region/Index.aspx for 

information about the possible extension of 

the Bid Submission Deadline due to such an 

event. 

2. Blocks or portions of blocks beyond the 

United States (U.S.) Exclusive Economic 

Zone are offered based upon provisions of 

the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention. 

3. Blocks near the U.S.-Mexico maritime 

and continental shelf boundary could 

become subject to the Agreement between the 

United States of America and the United 

Mexican States Concerning Transboundary 

Hydrocarbon Reservoirs in the Gulf of 

Mexico (Agreement). Bidders are advised to 

refer to the Bids on Blocks near U.S.-Mexico 

Maritime and Continental Shelf Boundary 

portion of this document for detailed 

information pertaining to the opening of bids 

affecting blocks in this area. 

Areas Offered For Leasing: In WPA 

Sale 229, BOEM is offering to lease all 

blocks and partial blocks listed in the 

document ‘‘List of Blocks Available for 

Leasing’’ included in the Final NOS 

package. All of these blocks are shown 

on the following leasing maps and 

Official Protraction Diagrams (OPDs): 

Outer Continental Shelf Leasing 

Maps—Texas Map Numbers 1 Through 

8 (These 16 Maps Sell for $2.00 each.) 

TX1 South Padre Island Area (revised 

November 1, 2000) 

TX1A South Padre Island Area, East 

Addition (revised November 1, 2000) 

TX2 North Padre Island Area (revised 

November 1, 2000) 

TX2A North Padre Island Area, East 

Addition (revised November 1, 2000) 

TX3 Mustang Island Area (revised 

November 1, 2000) 

TX3A Mustang Island Area, East Addition 

(revised September 3, 2002) 

TX4 Matagorda Island Area (revised 

November 1, 2000) 

TX5 Brazos Area (revised November 1, 

2000) 

TX5B Brazos Area, South Addition (revised 

November 1, 2000) 

TX6 Galveston Area (revised November 1, 

2000) 

TX6A Galveston Area, South Addition 

(revised November 1, 2000) 

TX7 High Island Area (revised November 1, 

2000) 

TX7A High Island Area, East Addition 

(revised November 1, 2000) 

TX7B High Island Area, South Addition 

(revised November 1, 2000) 

TX7C High Island Area, East Addition, 

South Extension (revised November 1, 

2000) 

TX8 Sabine Pass Area (revised November 1, 

2000) 

Outer Continental Shelf Leasing 

Maps—Louisiana Map Numbers 1A, 

1B, and 12 (These 3 Maps Sell for $2.00 

Each.) 

LA1A West Cameron Area, West Addition 

(revised February 28, 2007) 

LA1B West Cameron Area, South Addition 

(revised February 28, 2007) 

LA12 Sabine Pass Area (revised July 1, 

2011) 

Outer Continental Shelf Official 

Protraction Diagrams (These 7 

Diagrams Sell for $2.00 each.) 

NG14–03 Corpus Christi (revised November 

1, 2000) 

NG14–06 Port Isabel (revised November 1, 

2000) 

NG15–01 East Breaks (revised November 1, 

2000) 

NG15–02 Garden Banks (revised February 

28, 2007) 

NG15–04 Alaminos Canyon (revised 

November 1, 2000) 

NG15–05 Keathley Canyon (revised 

February 28, 2007) 

NG15–08 Sigsbee Escarpment (revised 

February 28, 2007) 

Please Note: A CD–ROM (in ARC/INFO 

and Acrobat (.pdf) format) containing all of 

the GOM leasing maps and OPDs, except for 

those not yet converted to digital format, is 

available from the BOEM Gulf of Mexico 

Region Public Information Office for a price 

of $15.00. These GOM leasing maps and 

OPDs are also available for free online in .pdf 

and .gra formats at http://www.boem.gov/Oiland-Gas-Energy-Program/Mapping-and-Data/ 

Official-Protraction-Diagrams.aspx. 

For the current status of all GOM 

WPA leasing maps and OPDs, please 

refer to 66 FR 28002 (published May 21, 

2001), 67 FR 60701 (published 

September 26, 2002), 72 FR 27590 

(published May 16, 2007), and 76 FR 

54787 (published September 2, 2011). In 

addition, Supplemental Official OCS 

Block Diagrams (SOBDs) for blocks 

containing the U.S. 200 Nautical Mile 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 208 / Friday, October 26, 2012 / Notices 65409 

Limit line and the U.S.-Mexico 

Maritime and Continental Shelf 

Boundary line are available. These 

SOBDs also are available from BOEM 

Gulf of Mexico Region Public 

Information Office. For additional 

information, or to order the above 

referenced maps or diagrams, please call 

the Mapping and Automation Section at 

(504) 736–5768. 

All blocks are shown on these leasing 

maps and OPDs. The available Federal 

acreage of each whole and partial block 

in this lease sale is shown in the 

document ‘‘List of Blocks Available for 

Leasing’’ included in the Final NOS 

Package. Some of these blocks may be 

partially leased or deferred, or 

transected by administrative lines such 

as the Federal/state jurisdictional line. 

A bid on a block must include all of the 

available Federal acreage of that block. 

Also, information on the unleased 

portions of such blocks is found in the 

document ‘‘Western Planning Area, 

Lease Sale 229, November 28, 2012— 

Unleased Split Blocks and Available 

Unleased Acreage of Blocks with 

Aliquots and Irregular Portions under 

Lease or Deferred’’ included in the Final 

NOS Package. 

Areas Not Available For Leasing: The 

following whole and partial blocks are 

not offered for lease in this sale: 

Whole blocks and portions of blocks 

that lie within the boundaries of the 

Flower Garden Banks National Marine 

Sanctuary in the East and West Flower 

Garden Banks and Stetson Bank (the 

following list includes all blocks 

affected by the Sanctuary boundaries): 

High Island, East Addition, South 

Extension (Leasing Map TX7C) 

Whole Block: A–398. 

Portions of Blocks: A–366*, A–367*, 

A–374*, A–375, A–383*, A–384*, A– 

385*, A–388, A–389, A–397*, A–399, 

A–401. 

*Leased. 

High Island, South Addition (Leasing 

Map TX7B) 

Portions of Blocks: A–502, A–513. 

Garden Banks (OPD NG15–02) 

Portions of Blocks: 134, 135. 

Whole blocks and portions of blocks 

that lie within the former Western Gap 

and that lie within 1.4 nautical miles 

north of the continental shelf boundary 

between the United States and Mexico: 

Keathley Canyon (OPD NG15–05) 

Portions of Blocks: 978 through 980. 

Sigsbee Escarpment (OPD NG15–08) 

Whole Blocks: 11, 57, 103, 148, 149, 

194. 

Portions of Blocks: 12 through 14, 58 

through 60, 104 through 106, 150. 

Blocks currently subject to bid or 

termination appeals: 

Garden Banks (NG15–02) 

Blocks 623 and 624. 

Please Note: 

Bids on Blocks Near the U.S.-Mexico 

Maritime and Continental Shelf 

Boundary 

The following definitions apply to 

this section: 

‘‘Agreement’’ refers to an agreement 

between the United Mexican States and 

the United States of America that 

addresses identification and unitization 

of transboundary hydrocarbon 

reservoirs, allocation of production, 

inspections, safety, and environmental 

protection. A copy of the Agreement can 

be found at http://www.boem.gov/ 

BOEM-Newsroom/Library/BoundariesMexico.aspx. 

‘‘Boundary Area’’ means an area 

comprised of any and all blocks in the 

WPA, that are located or partially 

located within three statute miles of the 

maritime and continental shelf 

boundary with Mexico, as that maritime 

boundary is delimited in the November 

24, 1970 Treaty to Resolve Pending 

Boundary Differences and Maintain the 

Rio Grande and Colorado River as the 

International Boundary; the May 4, 1978 

Treaty on Maritime Boundaries between 

the United Mexican States and the 

United States of America; and the June 

9, 2000 Treaty on the Continental Shelf 

between the Government of the United 

Mexican States and the Government of 

the United States of America. 

The Agreement was signed on 

February 20, 2012, but has not yet been 

approved by Congress. Bids submitted 

on any available block in the ‘‘Boundary 

Area’’ (as defined above) may be 

segregated from bids submitted on 

blocks outside the Boundary Area. Bids 

submitted on available blocks outside 

the Boundary Area will be opened on 

the date scheduled for sale. Bids 

submitted on blocks in the Boundary 

Area may not be opened on the date 

scheduled for the sale, but may be 

opened at a later date. Within 30 days 

after the approval of the Agreement or 

by May 31, 2013, whichever occurs first, 

the Secretary of the Interior will 

determine whether it is in the best 

interest of the United States either to 

open bids for Boundary Area blocks or 

to return the bids unopened. 

In the event the Secretary decides to 

open bids on any available blocks in the 

Boundary Area, BOEM will notify such 

bidders at least 30 days prior to opening 

such bids, and will describe the terms 

of the Agreement under which leases in 

the Boundary Area will be issued. 

Bidders on these blocks may withdraw 

their bids at any time after such notice 

up until 10 a.m. of the day before bid 

opening. If BOEM does not give notice 

within 30 days of the approval of the 

Agreement, or by May 31, 2013, 

whichever comes first, BOEM will 

return the bids unopened. This timing 

will allow companies to make decisions 

regarding the next annual WPA lease 

sale (anticipated in 2013), which also 

may offer blocks in this area. BOEM 

reserves the right to return these bids at 

any time. BOEM will not disclose which 

blocks received bids or the names of 

bidders in this area unless and until the 

bids are opened. 

BOEM currently anticipates that 

blocks in the Boundary Area that are not 

awarded as a result of WPA Sale 229 

would be reoffered in the next lease sale 

for the WPA in 2013. 

The following blocks comprise the 

Boundary Area: 

Port Isabel Blocks—914, 915, 916, 

917, 918, 919, 920, 921, 922, 923, 924, 

945, 946, 947, 948, 958, 959, 960, 961, 

962, 963, 964, 965, 966, 967, 968, 989, 

990, 991, and 992. 

Alaminos Canyon Blocks—881, 882, 

883*, 884*, 885, 886, 887, 888, 889, 890, 

891, 892, 893*, 894*, 895, 896, 897, 898, 

899*, 900*, 901*, 902*, 903*, 904*, 905, 

906, 907, 908, 909, 910, 911, 912, 925, 

926, 927*, 928*, 929, 930, 931, 932, 933, 

934, 935, 936, 937, 938, 939*, 940, 941, 

942*, 943*, 944*, 945*, 946, 947*, 948, 

949, 950, 951, 952, 953, 954, 955, 956, 

957, 958, 959, 960, 961, 962, 963, 964, 

965, 992, 993, 994, 995, 996, 997, 998, 

999, 1000, 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005, 

1006, 1007, 1008, and 1009. 

Keathley Canyon Blocks—925, 926, 

927, 928, 929, 930, 931, 932, 933, 934, 

935, 969, 970, 971, 972, 973, 974, 975, 

976, 977, 978, 979, 980, and 981. 

Sigsbee Escarpment Blocks—11, 12, 

13, 14, 15, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 103, 104, 

105, 106, 148, 149, 150, and 194. 

South Padre Island Blocks—1154, 

1163, 1164, 1165, and 1166. 

South Padre Island, East Addition 

Blocks—1155, 1156, 1157, 1158, 1159, 

1160, 1161, 1162, A 78, A 79, A 80, A 

81, A 82, A 83, A 84, A 85, A 86, A 87, 

A 89, and A 90. 

*Leased. 

Statutes and Regulations: Each lease 

is issued pursuant to OCSLA, 

regulations promulgated pursuant 

thereto, other applicable statutes and 

regulations in existence upon the 

Effective Date of the lease, and those 

applicable statutes enacted (including 

amendments to OCSLA or other 

statutes) and regulations promulgated 

thereafter, except to the extent they 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES
65410 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 208 / Friday, October 26, 2012 / Notices 

explicitly conflict with an express 

provision of the lease. Amendments to 

existing statutes and regulations, 

including but not limited to OCSLA, as 

well as the enactment of new statutes 

and promulgation of new regulations, 

which do not explicitly conflict with an 

express provision of the lease, will 

apply to the leases issued as a result of 

this sale. Moreover, the lessee expressly 

bears the risk that such new statutes and 

regulations (i.e., those that do not 

explicitly conflict with an express 

provision of the lease) may increase or 

decrease the lessee’s obligation under 

the lease. 

BOEM will use Form BOEM–2005 

(October 2011) to convey leases 

resulting from this sale. This lease form 

may be viewed on the BOEM Web site 

at http://www.boem.gov/About-BOEM/ 

Procurement-Business-Opportunities/ 

BOEM–OCS-Operation-Forms/BOEM– 

OCS-Operation-Forms.aspx. The lease 

form will be amended to conform with 

the specific terms, conditions, and 

stipulations applicable to the individual 

lease. 

Lease Terms and Conditions: Initial 

periods, minimum bonus bid amounts, 

rental rates, escalating rental rates for 

leases in depths less than 400 meters 

with an initial period longer than 5 

years, royalty rates, minimum royalties, 

and royalty suspension provisions, if 

any, applicable to this sale are noted 

below. Additionally, these terms and 

conditions for leases resulting from this 

lease sale are depicted on the map 

‘‘Final, Western Planning Area, Lease 

Sale 229, November 28, 2012, Lease 

Terms and Economic Conditions.’’ 

Initial Periods: Initial periods are 

summarized in the following table: 

Water depth 

in meters Initial periods 

0 to <400 ...... Standard initial period is 5 years; the lessee may earn an additional 3 years (i.e., for an 8-year extended initial period), if a well 

is spudded during the first 5 years of the lease targeting hydrocarbons below 25,000 feet True Vertical Depth Subsea (TVD 

SS). 

400 to <800 .. Standard initial period is 5 years; the lessee will earn an additional 3 years (i.e., for an 8-year extended initial period), if a well is 

spudded during the first 5 years of the lease. 

800 to <1,600 Standard initial period is 7 years; the lessee will earn an additional 3 years (i.e., for a 10-year extended initial period), if a well is 

spudded during the first 7 years of the lease. 

1,600+ .......... 10 years. 

A. The standard initial period for a 

lease in water depths of less than 400 

meters issued from this sale is 5 years. 

If the lessee spuds a well within the first 

5 years of the lease targeting 

hydrocarbons below 25,000 feet TVD 

SS, then the lessee may earn an 

additional 3 years, for an 8-year 

extended initial period. The lessee will 

earn the 8-year extended initial period 

in cases where the well is drilled to a 

target below 25,000 feet TVD SS, or the 

lessee may earn the 8-year extended 

initial period in cases where the well 

targets, but does not reach, a depth 

below 25,000 feet TVD SS due to 

mechanical or safety reasons, where 

sufficient evidence is provided. 

In order to earn the 8-year extended 

initial period, the lessee is required to 

submit to the Bureau of Safety and 

Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) 

GOM Regional Supervisor for 

Production and Development (RSPD), 

1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Mail 

Stop GE 933C, New Orleans, Louisiana, 

70123–2394, within 30 days after 

completion of the drilling operation, a 

letter providing the well number, spud 

date, information demonstrating a target 

below 25,000 feet TVD SS and whether 

that target was reached, and if 

applicable, any safety, mechanical or 

other problems encountered that 

prevented the well from reaching a 

depth below 25,000 feet TVD SS. The 

RSPD must concur in writing that the 

conditions have been met in order for 

the lessee to earn the 8-year extended 

initial period. The RSPD will provide a 

written response within 30 days of 

receipt of the letter provided. 

A lease that has earned the 8-year 

extended initial period by spudding a 

well during the first 5 years of the lease 

with a hydrocarbon target below 25,000 

feet TVD SS, confirmed by the RSPD, 

will not be eligible for a suspension for 

that same period under the regulations 

at 30 CFR 250.175 because the lease is 

not at risk of expiring. 

B. The standard initial period for a 

lease in water depths of 400 meters to 

less than 800 meters issued from this 

sale is 5 years. The lessee will earn an 

additional 3 years, for an 8-year 

extended initial period, if the lessee 

spuds a well within the first 5 years of 

the lease. 

In order to earn the 8-year extended 

initial period, the lessee is required to 

submit to the appropriate BSEE District 

Manager, within 30 days after spudding 

a well, a letter providing the well 

number and spud date, and requesting 

concurrence that the lessee earned the 

8-year extended initial period. The 

BSEE District Manager will review the 

request and make a written 

determination within 30 days of receipt 

of the request. The BSEE District 

Manager must concur in writing that the 

conditions have been met by the lessee 

to earn the 8-year extended initial 

period. 

C. The standard initial period for a 

lease in water depths of 800 meters to 

less than 1,600 meters issued from this 

sale will be 7 years. The lessee will earn 

an additional 3 years, for a 10-year 

extended initial period, if the lessee 

spuds a well within the first 7 years of 

the lease. In order to earn the 10-year 

extended initial period, the lessee is 

required to submit to the appropriate 

BSEE District Manager, within 30 days 

after spudding a well, a letter providing 

the well number and spud date, and 

requesting concurrence that the lessee 

earned the 10-year extended initial 

period. The BSEE District Manager will 

review the request and make a 

determination. A written response will 

be sent to the lessee documenting the 

BSEE District Manager’s decision within 

30 days of receipt of the request. The 

BSEE District Manager must concur in 

writing that the conditions have been 

met by the lessee to earn the 10-year 

extended initial period. 

D. The standard initial period for a 

lease in water depths of 1,600 meters or 

greater issued from this sale will be 10 

years. 

Minimum Bonus Bid Amounts 

• $25.00 per acre or fraction thereof 

for blocks in water depths of less than 

400 meters. 

• $100.00 per acre or fraction thereof 

for blocks in water depths of 400 meters 

or deeper. 

Rental Rates 

Annual rental rates are summarized in 

the following table: 


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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 208 / Friday, October 26, 2012 / Notices 65411 

RENTAL RATES PER ACRE OR FRACTION THEREOF

Water depth in meters Years 1–5 Years 6, 7, & 8+ 

0 to <200 ...................................................................................... $7.00 $14.00, $21.00, & $28.00 

200 to <400 .................................................................................. 11.00 $22.00, $33.00, & $44.00 

400+ .............................................................................................. 11.00 $16.00 

Escalating Rental Rates for Leases With 

an 8-Year Extended Initial Period in 

Depths of Less Than 400 Meters 

Any lease in water depths less than 

400 meters that earns an 8-year 

extended initial period will pay an 

escalating rental rate as shown above. 

The rental rates after the fifth year for 

blocks in less than 400 meters will 

become fixed and no longer escalate if 

another well is spudded after the fifth 

year of the lease that targets 

hydrocarbons below 25,000 feet TVD 

SS, and BSEE concurs that such a well 

has been spudded. In this case, the 

rental rate will become fixed at the 

rental rate in effect during the lease year 

in which the additional well was 

spudded. 

Royalty Rate 

• 18.75 percent. 

Minimum Royalty 

• $7.00 per acre or fraction thereof 

per year for blocks in water depths of 

less than 200 meters. 

• $11.00 per acre or fraction thereof 

per year for blocks in water depths of 

200 meters or deeper. 

Royalty Suspension Provisions 

Leases with royalty suspension 

volumes (RSVs) are authorized under 

existing BSEE regulations at 30 CFR part 

203 and BOEM regulations at 30 CFR 

part 560. 

Deep and Ultra-Deep Gas Royalty 

Suspensions 

A lease issued as a result of this sale 

may be eligible for RSV incentives for 

deep and ultra-deep wells pursuant to 

30 CFR part 203, implementing 

requirements of the Energy Policy Act of 

2005. These RSV incentives are 

conditioned upon applicable price 

thresholds: 

• Certain wells on leases in 0 to less 

than 400 meters of water depth 

completed to a drilling depth of 20,000 

feet TVD SS or deeper may receive an 

RSV of 35 billion cubic feet of natural 

gas. 

• Certain wells on leases in 200 to 

less than 400 meters of water depth 

completed from 15,000 to 20,000 feet 

TVD SS that begin production before 

May 3, 2013, may receive smaller RSV 

incentives. 

Lease Stipulations: The map ‘‘Final, 

Western Planning Area, Lease Sale 229, 

November 28, 2012, Stipulations and 

Deferred Blocks’’ depicts those blocks 

on which one or more of five lease 

stipulations apply: (1) Topographic 

Features; (2) Military Areas; (3) Law of 

the Sea Convention Royalty Payment; 

(4) Protected Species; and (5) Agreement 

between the United States of America 

and the United Mexican States 

Concerning Transboundary 

Hydrocarbon Reservoirs in the Gulf of 

Mexico. 

The texts of the stipulations are 

contained in the document ‘‘Lease 

Stipulations, Western Planning Area, 

Oil and Gas Lease Sale 229, Final Notice 

of Sale’’ included in the Final NOS 

Package. In addition, the ‘‘List of Blocks 

Available for Leasing,’’ contained in the 

Final NOS Package, identifies the lease 

stipulations applicable to each block. 

Information to Lessees: The Final 

NOS Package contains an ‘‘Information 

to Lessees’’ document that provides 

information on certain issues pertaining 

to this oil and gas lease sale. 

Method of Bidding: For each block bid 

upon, a bidder must submit a separate 

signed bid in a sealed envelope. The 

outside of the envelope should be 

labeled ‘‘Sealed Bid for Oil and Gas 

Lease Sale 229, not to be opened until 

9 a.m., Wednesday, November 28, 

2012.’’ The submitting company’s name, 

its GOM company number, the map 

name, map number, and block number 

should be clearly identified on the 

outside of the envelope. 

The sealed bid should list the total 

amount of the bid in a whole dollar 

amount, as well as the sale number, the 

sale date, the submitting company’s 

name, its GOM company number, the 

map name, map number, and the block 

number clearly identified. The 

information required on the bid(s) and 

the bid envelope(s) are specified in the 

document ‘‘Bid Form and Envelope’’ 

contained in the Final NOS Package. A 

blank bid form has been provided 

therein for convenience and may be 

copied and filled. The Final NOS 

Package includes a sample bid envelope 

for reference. 

The Final NOS Package also includes 

a form for the telephone numbers and 

addresses of bidders. BOEM requests 

that bidders provide this information in 

the suggested format prior to or at the 

time of bid submission. The Telephone 

Numbers/Addresses of Bidders Form 

should not be enclosed within the 

sealed bid envelope. 

BOEM published a list of restricted 

joint bidders for this lease sale in the 

Federal Register on October 23, 2012. 

Please also refer to joint bidding 

provisions at 30 CFR 556.41 for 

additional information. All bidders 

must execute all documents in 

conformance with signatory 

authorizations on file in BOEM’s GOM 

Region Adjudication Section. 

Designated signatories must be 

authorized to bind their respective legal 

business entities (e.g., a corporation, 

partnership, or LLC) and must have an 

incumbency certificate setting forth the 

authorized signatories on file with the 

GOM Region Adjudication Section. 

Bidders submitting joint bids must 

include on the bid form the 

proportionate interest of each 

participating bidder, stated as a 

percentage, using a maximum of five 

decimal places (e.g., 33.33333 percent) 

with total interest equaling 100 percent. 

BOEM may require bidders to submit 

other documents in accordance with 30 

CFR 556.46. BOEM warns bidders 

against violation of 18 U.S.C. 1860 

prohibiting unlawful combination or 

intimidation of bidders. Bidders are 

advised that BOEM considers the signed 

bid to be a legally binding obligation on 

the part of the bidder(s) to comply with 

all applicable regulations, including 

payment of one-fifth of the bonus bid on 

all high bids. A statement to this effect 

must be included on each bid form (see 

the document ‘‘Bid Form and Envelope’’ 

contained in the Final NOS Package). 

Withdrawal of Bids: Once submitted, 

bids may not be withdrawn unless the 

BOEM RD receives a written request for 

withdrawal from the company who 

submitted the bid(s), prior to 10 a.m. on 

Tuesday, November 27, 2012. This 

request must be typed on company 

letterhead and must contain the 

submitting company’s name, its 

company number, the map name/ 

number and block number(s) of the 

bid(s) to be withdrawn. The request 

must be in conformance with signatory 

authorizations on file in BOEM’s GOM 

Region Adjudication Section. 

Signatories must be authorized to bind 


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65412 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 208 / Friday, October 26, 2012 / Notices 

their respective legal business entities 

(e.g., a corporation, partnership, or LLC) 

and must have: (1) An incumbency 

certificate and/or specific power of 

attorney setting forth express authority 

to act on the business entity’s behalf for 

purposes of bidding and lease execution 

under OCSLA, and (2) the authorized 

signatories on file with BOEM’s GOM 

Region Adjudication Section. The name 

and title of said signatory must be typed 

under the signature block on the 

withdrawal letter. Should the BOEM RD 

or the BOEM RD’s designee approve 

such a request, he or she will indicate 

approval by affixing his or her signature 

and the date to the submitting 

company’s request for withdrawal. 

Rounding: The bonus bid amount 

must be stated in whole dollars. If the 

block acreage contains a decimal figure, 

then prior to calculating the minimum 

bonus bid, round up to the next whole 

acre. The appropriate minimum rate per 

acre is then applied to the whole 

(rounded up) acreage. If the resulting 

calculation results in any cents, round 

up to the next whole dollar amount. The 

bonus bid amount must be greater than 

or equal to the minimum bonus bid. 

Minimum bonus bid calculations, 

including all rounding, for all blocks are 

shown in the document ‘‘List of Blocks 

Available for Leasing’’ included in the 

Final NOS Package. 

Bonus Bid Deposit: Each bidder 

submitting an apparent high bid must 

submit a bonus bid deposit to the U.S. 

Department of the Interior’s Office of 

Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) 

equal to one-fifth of the bonus bid 

amount for each such bid. All payments 

must be electronically deposited into an 

interest-bearing account in the U.S. 

Treasury by 11 a.m. Eastern Time the 

day following bid reading (no 

exceptions). Account information is 

provided in the Electronic Funds 

Transfer (EFT) instructions found on the 

BOEM Web site at http:// 

www.boem.gov/Oil-and-Gas-EnergyProgram/Leasing/Regional-Leasing/ 

Gulf-of-Mexico-Region/Lease-Sales/229/ 

index.aspx. Under the authority granted 

by 30 CFR 556.46(b), BOEM requires 

bidders to use EFT procedures for 

payment of one-fifth bonus bid deposits 

for WPA Sale 229, following the 

detailed instructions contained on the 

Payment Information Web page that 

may be found on the ONRR Web site at 

http://www.onrr.gov/FM/PayInfo.htm. 

Acceptance of a deposit does not 

constitute and will not be construed as 

acceptance of any bid on behalf of the 

United States. If a lease is awarded, 

ONRR requests that only one transaction 

be used for payment of the four-fifths 

bonus bid amount and the first year’s 

rental. 

Please Note: Certain bid submitters (i.e., 

those that are not currently an OCS mineral 

lease record title holder or designated 

operator or those that have ever defaulted on 

a one-fifth bonus bid payment (EFT or 

otherwise)) are required to guarantee (secure) 

their one-fifth bonus bid payment prior to the 

submission of bids. For those who must 

secure the EFT one-fifth bonus bid payment, 

the EFT instructions specify the requirements 

for each of the following four options: (1) 

Provide a third-party guarantee; (2) Amend 

bond coverage; (3) Provide a letter of credit; 

or (4) Provide a lump sum payment in 

advance via EFT. 

Withdrawal of Blocks: The United 

States reserves the right to withdraw 

any block from this lease sale prior to 

issuance of a written acceptance of a bid 

for the block. 

Acceptance, Rejection, or Return of 

Bids: The United States reserves the 

right to reject any and all bids. In any 

case, no bid will be accepted, and no 

lease for any block will be awarded to 

any bidder, unless: (1) The bidder has 

complied with all requirements of this 

Final NOS, including those set forth in 

the documents contained in the 

associated Final NOS Package and 

applicable regulations; (2) the bid is the 

highest valid bid; and (3) the amount of 

the bid has been determined to be 

adequate by the authorized officer. Any 

bid submitted that does not conform to 

the requirements of this Final Notice of 

Sale, OCSLA, and other applicable 

regulations may be returned to the 

bidder submitting that bid by the BOEM 

RD and not be considered for 

acceptance. The U.S. Department of 

Justice and the Federal Trade 

Commission will review the results of 

the lease sale for antitrust issues prior 

to the issuance of leases. 

To ensure that the Federal 

Government receives a fair return for the 

conveyance of lease rights for this lease 

sale, BOEM will evaluate high bids in 

accordance with its bid adequacy 

procedures. A copy of current 

procedures, ‘‘Modifications to the Bid 

Adequacy Procedures’’ at 64 FR 37560 

(July 12, 1999), can be obtained from the 

BOEM Gulf of Mexico Region Public 

Information Office or via the BOEM Gulf 

of Mexico Region Internet Web site at 

http://www.boem.gov/Oil-and-GasEnergy-Program/Leasing/RegionalLeasing/Gulf-of-Mexico-Region/BidAdequacy-Procedures.aspx. In the 

existing bid adequacy procedures, water 

depth categories in the GOM are 

specified as: (1) less than 800 meters, 

and (2) 800 meters or more. Per 64 FR 

37560, if different water depth 

categories are used for a GOM sale, they 

are specified in the Final Notice of Sale. 

For WPA Sale 229, the water depth 

categories are specified as: (1) Less than 

400 meters, and (2) 400 meters or more. 

Successful Bidders: BOEM requires 

each company awarded a lease to: (1) 

Execute all copies of the lease (Form 

BOEM–2005 (October 2011), as 

amended), (2) pay by EFT the balance of 

the bonus bid amount and the first 

year’s rental for each lease issued in 

accordance with the requirements of 30 

CFR 218.155 and 556.47(f); and (3) 

satisfy the bonding requirements of 30 

CFR part 556, subpart I, as amended. 

Affirmative Action: BOEM requires 

that, prior to bidding, the bidder file 

Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action 

Representation Form BOEM–2032 

(October 2011) and Equal Opportunity 

Compliance Report Certification Form 

BOEM–2033 (October 2011) in the 

BOEM GOM Region Adjudication 

Section. This certification is required by 

41 CFR part 60 and Executive Order No. 

11246 of September 24, 1965, as 

amended by Executive Order No. 11375 

of October 13, 1967. In any event, prior 

to the execution of any lease contract, 

both forms are required to be on file for 

the bidder in the GOM Region 

Adjudication Section. 

Geophysical Data and Information 

Statement: Pursuant to 30 CFR 551.12, 

BOEM has a right to access geophysical 

data and information collected under a 

permit in the OCS. 

Every bidder submitting a bid on a 

block in WPA Sale 229, or participating 

as a joint bidder in such a bid, must 

submit at the time of bid submission a 

Geophysical Data and Information 

Statement (GDIS) in a separate and 

sealed envelope, identifying all 

proprietary data, reprocessed 

speculative data and/or any Amplitude 

Versus Offset, Controlled Source 

Electromagnetic Surveys, Gravity or 

Magnetic data, or other information 

used as part of the decision to bid or 

participate in a bid on the block. 

Please Note: A bidder must submit the 

GDIS even if its joint bidder or bidders on a 

specific block also have submitted a GDIS. 

Any speculative data that has been 

reprocessed externally or in-house is 

considered proprietary due to the proprietary 

processing and is no longer considered to be 

speculative. The GDIS should clearly state 

who did the reprocessing (e.g., an external 

company name or ‘‘in-house’’). In addition, 

the GDIS should clearly identify the data 

type (e.g., 2–D, 3–D, or 4–D; pre-stack or 

post-stack; and time or depth); areal extent 

(i.e., number of line miles for 2–D, or number 

of blocks for 3–D) and migration algorithm 

(e.g., Kirchhoff Migration, Wave Equation 

Migration, Reverse Migration, Reverse Time 

Migration) of the data, velocity models used, 

and other requested metadata. The statement 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 208 / Friday, October 26, 2012 / Notices 65413 

must also include the name, the phone 

number, and full address of a contact person, 

and an alternate, who are both 

knowledgeable about the information and 

data listed and available for 30 days postsale; the processing company; the date 

processing was completed; owner of the 

original data set (who initially acquired the 

data); original data survey name; and permit 

number. Seismic survey information also 

should include the computer storage size to 

the nearest megabyte of each seismic data 

and velocity volumes used to evaluate the 

lease block in question. This will be used in 

estimating the reproduction costs for each 

data set during the requisition process prior 

to requesting data. BOEM reserves the right 

to query about alternate data sets, and to 

quality check and compare the listed and 

alternative data sets to determine which data 

set most closely meets the needs of the fair 

market value determination process. 

A. The statement also must identify 

each block upon which the bidder 

submitted a bid or participated as a 

partner in a bid, but for which it did not 

use proprietary or reprocessed pre- or 

post-stack geophysical data and 

information as part of the decision to 

bid or to participate in the bid. The 

GDIS must be submitted even if no 

proprietary geophysical data and 

information were used in bid 

preparation for the block. 

B. In the event a company supplies 

any type of data to BOEM, that company 

must meet the following requirements to 

qualify for reimbursement: 

1. Companies must be registered with 

the System for Award Management 

(SAM), formerly known as the Central 

Contractor Registration (CCR). Your CCR 

username will not work in SAM. A new 

SAM User Account to register or update 

your entity’s records is needed. The 

Web site for registering is: https:// 

www.sam.gov. 

2. Companies must be enrolled in the 

Department of Treasury’s Internet 

Payment Platform (IPP) for electronic 

invoicing. The company must enroll at 

the IPP (https://www.ipp.gov/) if it has 

not already done so. Access will then be 

granted to use IPP for submitting 

requests for payment. When a request 

for payment is submitted, it must 

include the assigned Purchase Order 

Number on the request. 

3. Companies must have a current Online Representations and Certifications 

Application at: https://www.sam.gov. 

Please Note: The GDIS Information Table 

can be submitted digitally on a CD or DVD 

as an Excel Spreadsheet. If you have any 

questions, please contact Dee Smith at (504) 

736–2706 or John Johnson at (504) 736–2455. 

Force Majeure: The BOEM RD has the 

discretion to change any date, time, 

and/or location specified in the Final 

NOS Package in case of a force majeure 

event that the BOEM RD deems may 

interfere with the carrying out of a fair 

and proper lease sale process. Such 

events may include, but are not limited 

to, natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, 

hurricanes, and floods), wars, riots, acts 

of terrorism, fire, strikes, civil disorder, 

or other events of a similar nature. In 

case of such events, bidders should call 

(504) 736–0557 or access BOEM’s Web 

site at http://www.boem.gov for 

information about any changes. 

Dated: October 22, 2012. 

Tommy P. Beaudreau, 

Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management. 

[FR Doc. 2012–26396 Filed 10–25–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P 

INTERNATIONAL TRADE 

COMMISSION 

[Investigation No. 337–TA–842] 

Certain Cameras and Mobile Devices, 

Related Software and Firmware, and 

Components Thereof and Products 

Containing the Same Notice of 

Commission Determination Not To 

Review an Initial Determination 

Terminating the Investigation 

AGENCY: U.S. International Trade 

Commission. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that 

the U.S. International Trade 

Commission has determined not to 

review an initial determination (‘‘ID’’) 

(Order No. 11) terminating the abovecaptioned investigation. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

James A. Worth, Office of the General 

Counsel, U.S. International Trade 

Commission, 500 E Street SW., 

Washington, DC 20436, telephone (202) 

205–3065. Copies of non-confidential 

documents filed in connection with this 

investigation are or will be available for 

inspection during official business 

hours (8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.) in the 

Office of the Secretary, U.S. 

International Trade Commission, 500 E 

Street SW., Washington, DC 20436, 

telephone (202) 205–2000. General 

information concerning the Commission 

may also be obtained by accessing its 

Internet server (http://www.usitc.gov). 

The public record for this investigation 

may be viewed on the Commission’s 

electronic docket (EDIS) at http:// 

edis.usitc.gov. Hearing-impaired 

persons are advised that information on 

this matter can be obtained by 

contacting the Commission’s TDD 

terminal on (202) 205–1810. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

investigation was instituted on May 2, 

2012, based upon a complaint filed on 

behalf of HumanEyes Technologies, Ltd. 

of Jerusalem, Israel on March 28, 2012, 

and supplemented on April 18, 2012. 77 

FR 26041 (May 2, 2012). The complaint 

alleged violations of section 337 of the 

Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1337) in 

the sale for importation, importation, or 

sale after importation of certain cameras 

and mobile devices, related software 

and firmware, and components thereof 

and products containing the same that 

infringe of one or more of claims 1–3 

and 22 of U.S. Patent No. 6,665,003 and 

claims 1–3, 10,20, 27–29, 36, and 37 of 

U.S. Patent No. 7,477,284. The notice of 

investigation named as respondents 

Sony Corporation of Tokyo, Japan; Sony 

Corporation of America of New York, 

New York; Sony Electronics Inc. of San 

Diego, California; Sony Mobile 

Communications AB of London, United 

Kingdom; and Sony Mobile 

Communications (USA) Inc. of Atlanta, 

Georgia. 

On September 20, 2012, complainant 

HumanEyes Technologies filed an 

unopposed motion to terminate the 

investigation pursuant to Commission 

rule 210.21(a), 19 CFR 210.21(a), based 

on withdrawal of the complaint and 

supplemental complaint. On September 

25, 2012, the Commission investigative 

attorney filed a response in support of 

the motion. On September 26, 2012, the 

administrative law judge issued the 

subject ID, granting the motion. No 

petitions for review were filed. 

After considering the ID and the 

relevant portions of the record, the 

Commission has determined not to 

review the ID. 

This action is taken under the 

authority of section 337 of the Tariff Act 

of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1337), 

and Part 210 of the Commission’s Rules 

of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR part 

210). 

By order of the Commission. 

Issued: October 23, 2012. 

Lisa R. Barton, 

Acting Secretary to the Commission. 

[FR Doc. 2012–26408 Filed 10–25–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7020–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 

Antitrust Division 

Notice Pursuant to the National 

Cooperative Research and Production 

Act of 1993—Pistoia Alliance, Inc. 

Notice is hereby given that, on 

September 20, 2012, pursuant to Section 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES