Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 219 / Monday, November 14, 2011 / Notices 70473 

Total Estimated Burden Hours: 688. 

Status: Extension without change of a 

currently approved collection. 

Authority: Section 3507 of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 35, as 

amended. 

Dated: November 4, 2011. 

Colette Pollard, 

Departmental Reports Management Officer, 

Office of the Chief Information Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2011–29360 Filed 11–10–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–67–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

(BOEM) 

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Western 

Planning Area (WPA) Gulf of Mexico 

(GOM) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 218 

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management, Interior. 

ACTION: Final notice of sale. 

SUMMARY: On Wednesday, December 14, 

2011, BOEM will open and publicly 

announce bids received for the blocks 

offered in WPA Oil and Gas Lease Sale 

218, in accordance with provisions of 

the OCS Lands Act (OSCLA) (43 U.S.C. 

1331–1356, as amended) and the 

regulations issued thereunder (30 CFR 

Part 556). The Final NOS 218 Package 

(Package) contains information essential 

to potential bidders, and bidders are 

charged with the knowledge of the 

documents contained in the Package. 

Sale 218 includes five changes from 

WPA Sale 210 in August 2009: (1) 

BOEM revised the initial period of the 

lease term for blocks in water depths of 

400 meters to less than 1,600 meters, (2) 

the minimum bonus bid has increased 

for blocks in water depths of 400 meters 

or deeper, (3) no deepwater royalty 

suspension provisions will be offered 

for leases issued from this sale, (4) bids 

submitted for blocks within the U.S.- 

Mexico ‘‘Boundary Area’’ will be held 

unopened until on or before 30 days 

following a Transboundary Agreement 

is executed or June 14, 2012, as 

explained below, and (5) the lease form 

has been revised. 

DATES: Public bid reading for the WPA 

Oil and Gas Lease Sale 218 will begin 

at 9 a.m., Wednesday, December 14, 

2011, at the Louisiana Superdome, 1500 

Sugarbowl Drive, New Orleans, 

Louisiana 70112. All times referred to in 

this document are local New Orleans 

times, unless otherwise specified. 

ADDRESSES: Interested parties can obtain 

a Package by contacting BOEM at: Gulf 

of Mexico Region Public Information 

Unit, Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management, 1201 Elmwood Park 

Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 

70123–2394, (504) 736–2519 or (800) 

200–GULF, http://www.gomr.boem.gov. 

Filing of Bids: Bidders must submit 

sealed bids to the Regional Director 

(RD), BOEM Gulf of Mexico Region, 

1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New 

Orleans, Louisiana, 70123–2394, 

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

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

Bid Submission Deadline of 10 a.m. on 

Tuesday, December 13, 2011, the day 

before the lease sale. If bids are mailed, 

please address the envelope containing 

all of the sealed bids as follows: 

Attention: Chief, 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 

218, Please Deliver to Ms. Nancy 

Kornrumpf, 6th Floor, Immediately. 

Please Note: 1. Bidders mailing bid(s) are 

advised to call Ms. Nancy Kornrumpf at (504) 

736–2726 or Ms. Cindy Thibodeaux at (504) 

736–2809 immediately after putting their 

bid(s) in the mail. If the RD receives bids 

later than the time and date specified above, 

he 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 our BOEM 

Gulf of Mexico Internet Web site at: http:// 

www.gomr.boem.gov 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, and 

could be subject to a continental shelf 

delimitation agreement between the United 

States and Mexico. 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 Oil 

and Gas Lease Sale 218, 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 218 Package. All of 

these blocks are shown on the following 

leasing maps and Official Protraction 

Diagrams (OPD’s): 

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 July 1, 2011). 

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 February 28, 2007). 

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70474 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 219 / Monday, November 14, 2011 / Notices 

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 OPD’s, except for 

those not yet converted to digital format, is 

available from BOEM Gulf of Mexico Region 

Public Information Unit for a price of $15. 

These GOM leasing maps and OPD’s are also 

available for free online in .pdf and .gra 

format at http://www.gomr.boem.gov/ 

homepg/lsesale/map_arc.html. 

For the current status of all GOM 

WPA leasing maps and OPD’s, please 

refer to 66 FR 28002 (published May 21, 

2001), 67 FR 60701 (published 

September 26, 2002), and 72 FR 27590 

(published May 16, 2007). In addition, 

Supplemental Official OCS Block 

Diagrams (SOBD’s) for these blocks are 

available which contain the U.S. 200 

Nautical Mile Limit line and the U.S.- 

Mexico Maritime and Continental Shelf 

Boundary line. These SOBD’s are also 

available from BOEM Gulf of Mexico 

Region Public Information Unit. For 

additional information, please call the 

Mapping and Automation Section at 

(504) 736–5768. 

All blocks are shown on these leasing 

maps and OPD’s. The available Federal 

acreage of all whole and partial blocks 

in this lease sale is shown in the 

document ‘‘List of Blocks Available for 

Leasing’’ included in the Final NOS 218 

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 218, December 14, 2011— 

Unleased Split Blocks and Available 

Unleased Acreage of Blocks with 

Aliquots and Irregular Portions Under 

Lease or Deferred’’ included in the Final 

NOS 218 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 at 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 lie within the 1.4 nautical mile 

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 under appeal 

(although currently unleased, the 

following blocks are under appeal and 

bids will not be accepted): 

Garden Banks (NG15–02) 

Blocks 623 and 624 

Note: Bids on Blocks Near the U.S.-Mexico 

Maritime and Continental Shelf Boundary. 

Due to ongoing negotiations with the 

Government of Mexico on a Transboundary 

Agreement, bids submitted on any block in 

the ‘‘Boundary Area’’ as defined below will 

be segregated from bids submitted on blocks 

outside the Boundary Area. Bids submitted 

on blocks outside the Boundary Area will be 

opened on the date scheduled for sale, as is 

normally the practice. Bids submitted on 

blocks in the Boundary Area will not be 

opened on the date scheduled for the sale, 

but may be opened at a later date. On or 

before 30 days following execution of a 

Transboundary Agreement or June 14, 2012, 

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. 

BOEM will notify bidders at least 30 

days prior to bid opening. Bidders on 

these blocks may withdraw their bids at 

any time after such notice and prior to 

10 a.m. (New Orleans local time) of the 

day before bid opening. If BOEM does 

not give notice by 30 days after 

execution of a Transboundary 

Agreement or by June 14, 2012, 

whichever occurs first, BOEM will 

return the bids unopened. This will 

provide time for companies to make 

decisions regarding the next annual 

Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Area 

lease sale proposed for 2012, which may 

also 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. 

In the event the Secretary decides to 

open bids on blocks in the Boundary 

Area, BOEM will notify such bidders of 

the agreement and will describe the 

terms under which leases in the 

Boundary Area will be issued. The 

bidders will have 20 days from the date 

of the notice to inform BOEM whether 

they will withdraw their bids on blocks 

in the Boundary Area or to reaffirm their 

interest in such a lease subject to the 

new terms that are necessary to 

implement the United States’ 

obligations under the Transboundary 

Agreement. 

BOEM currently anticipates that 

blocks in the Boundary Area that are not 

awarded as a result of Lease Sale 218 

would be reoffered in the following 

lease sale for the Western Planning 

Area, tentatively scheduled for later in 

2012. 

‘‘Transboundary Agreement,’’ refers to 

a possible agreement between the 

United Mexican States and the United 

States of America that may be approved 

by both governments after October 21, 

2011 and before June 15, 2012, and that 

addresses identification and unitization 

of transboundary hydrocarbon 

reservoirs, allocation of production, 

inspections, safety, and environmental 

protection. 

‘‘Boundary Area,’’ means an area 

comprised of the entirety of any and all 

blocks in the Western Planning Area, 

that are located or partially located 

within three nautical 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 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 219 / Monday, November 14, 2011 / Notices 70475 

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 

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, 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 the OCS Lands Act 

(OCSLA) of August 7, 1953; 43 U.S.C. 

1331 et seq., as amended, (hereinafter 

called ‘‘the Act’’) and is subject to the 

Act, regulations promulgated pursuant 

thereto, and other statutes and 

regulations in existence upon the 

Effective Date of the lease, and those 

statutes enacted (including amendments 

to the Act or other statutes) and 

regulations promulgated thereafter, 

except to the extent they explicitly 

conflict with an express provision of 

this lease. It is expressly understood 

that subsequent amendments to the Act, 

other statutes, and regulations which do 

not explicitly conflict with an express 

provision of the lease may be made and 

that the Lessee bears the risk that such 

amendments may increase or decrease 

the Lessee’s obligations under the lease. 

BOEM will use a new lease form (BOEM 

Form 2005 (October 2011)) to convey 

leases offered in this sale. The new lease 

form may be viewed on the BOEM Web 

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

homepg/boemforms/FormBOEM– 

2005.pdf. The lease form will be 

amended to conform with the specific 

terms, conditions and stipulations 

applicable to the individual lease. 

Addressed below are the terms, 

conditions, and stipulations applicable 

to this sale. 

Lease Terms and Conditions: Initial 

periods, extensions of initial periods, 

minimum bonus bid amounts, rental 

rates, escalating rental rates for leases 

with an approved extension of the 

initial 5-year period, royalty rate, 

minimum royalty, and royalty 

suspension provisions, if any, 

applicable to this sale are noted below. 

Related areas are depicted on the map 

‘‘Final, Western Planning Area, Lease 

Sale 218, December 14, 2011, Lease 

Terms and Economic Conditions,’’ for 

leases resulting from this lease sale. 

Initial Periods: Initial periods are 

summarized in the following table. 

Water depth in 

meters Initial periods 

0 to <400 ...................................... 5 years extended to 8 years if a well is spudded during the initial 5-year period targeting hydrocarbons 

below 25,000 feet true vertical depth (TVD) subsea (SS). 

400 to <800 .................................. 5 years extended to 8 years if a well is spudded during the initial 5-year period.

800 to <1,600 ............................... 7 years extended to 10 years if a well is spudded during the initial 7- year period. 

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

Extensions of Initial Periods: 

1. The 5-year initial period for a lease 

in water depths of less than 400 meters 

may be extended to 8 years if a well, 

targeting hydrocarbons below 25,000 

feet TVD SS, is spudded within the 5- 

year initial period. The 3-year extension 

will be granted in cases where the well 

is drilled to a target below 25,000 feet 

TVD SS and may also be granted in 

cases where the well targets but does 

not reach a depth below 25,000 feet 

TVD SS due to mechanical or safety 

reasons. 

In order for the 5-year initial period 

to be extended to 8 years, the lessee is 

required to submit to the Bureau of 

Safety and Environmental Enforcement 

(BSEE) GOM Regional Supervisor for 

Production and Development, within 30 

days after completion of the drilling 

operation, a letter providing the well 

number, spud date, information 

demonstrating the target below 25,000 

feet TVD SS, and if applicable, any 

safety or mechanical problems 

encountered that prevented the well 

from reaching a depth below 25,000 feet 

TVD SS. The Regional Supervisor must 

concur in writing that the conditions 

have been met to extend the initial 

period 3 years. The Regional Supervisor 

will provide written confirmation of any 

lease extension within 30 days of 

receipt of the letter provided. 

A lease that has earned a 3-year 

extension by spudding a well during the 

5-year initial period with a hydrocarbon 

target below 25,000 feet TVD SS, 

confirmed by BSEE, 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. 

2. The 5-year initial period for a lease 

in water depths of 400 meters to less 

than 800 meters issued from this sale 

will be extended to 8 years if a well is 

spudded within the initial 5-year 

period; otherwise, the lease expires on 

its own terms. 

In order for the 5-year initial period 

to be extended to 8 years, 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, spud date, and 

requesting confirmation of a 3-year 

extension of the initial period. The 

District Manager will review the request 

and make a determination. A written 

response will be sent to the lessee 

documenting the District Manager’s 

decision within 30 days of receipt of the 

request. For an extension to be granted, 

the District Manager must concur in 

writing that the conditions have been 

met to extend the initial period 3 years. 

3. The 7-year initial period for a lease 

in water depths of 800 meters to less 

than 1,600 meters issued from this sale 

will be extended to 10 years if a well is 

spudded within the initial 7-year 

period; otherwise, the lease expires on 

its own terms. 

In order for the 7-year initial period 

to be extended to 10 years, the lessee is 

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70476 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 219 / Monday, November 14, 2011 / Notices 

required to submit to the appropriate 

District Manager, within 30 days after 

spudding a well, a letter providing the 

well number, spud date, and requesting 

confirmation of a 3-year extension of the 

initial period. The District Manager will 

review the request and make a 

determination. A written response will 

be sent to the lessee documenting the 

District Manager’s decision within 30 

days of receipt of the request. For an 

extension to be granted, the District 

Manager must concur in writing that the 

conditions have been met to extend the 

lease term 3 years. 

Minimum Bonus Bid Amounts: A 

bonus bid will not be considered for 

acceptance unless it provides for a cash 

bonus in the amount of $25 or more per 

acre or fraction thereof for blocks in 

water depths of less than 400 meters, or 

$100 or more per acre or fraction thereof 

for blocks in water depths of 400 meters 

or deeper; to confirm the exact 

calculation of the minimum bonus bid 

amount for each block, see ‘‘List of 

Blocks Available for Leasing,’’ 

contained in the Final NOS 218 

Package. Please note that bonus bids 

must be in whole dollar amounts (i.e., 

BOEM will disregard partial dollar 

amounts). 

Rental Rates: Annual rental rates are 

summarized in the following table: 

RENTAL RATES PER ACRE OR FRACTION THEREOF

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

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

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

400 to < 800 ................................................................................................................................................ 11.00 16.00. 

800+ ............................................................................................................................................................ 11.00 16.00. 

Escalating Rental Rates for Leases 

with an Approved Extension of the 

Initial Period: Any lease in water depths 

less than 400 meters and granted a 3- 

year extension beyond the 5-year initial 

period as provided above will pay an 

escalating rental rate as shown above. 

The escalating rental rates after the 5th 

year for blocks in less than 400 meters 

will become fixed and no longer 

escalate if another well is spudded 

during the 3-year extended term of the 

lease that targets hydrocarbons below 

25,000 feet TVD SS, and BOEM 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 

and $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 (RSV), 

are authorized under existing BSEE 

rules at 30 CFR part 203 and BOEM 

rules 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 royalty relief for 

deep and ultra-deep wells pursuant to 

30 CFR 203.0 and 30 CFR 203.30– 

203.49. The regulations provide deep 

gas incentives in two ways. First, they 

provide an RSV of 35 billion cubic feet 

of natural gas for certain wells 

completed in a drilling depth category 

(20,000 feet TVD SS or deeper) for 

leases in 0 to less than 400 meters of 

water. Second, they offer RSVs to leases 

in 200 to less than 400 meters of water 

that are the same as the RSVs that were 

previously offered in shallower water 

i.e., in zero to 200 meters of water. 

These RSV incentives are conditional on 

applicable price thresholds and require 

that wells completed from 15,000 to 

20,000 feet TVD SS on leases in 200 to 

less than 400 meters of water must begin 

production before May 3, 2013. 

Deepwater Royalty Suspensions 

No deepwater royalty suspension 

provisions will be offered for leases 

issued from this sale. 

Lease Stipulations: The map ‘‘Final, 

Western Planning Area, Lease Sale 218, 

December 14, 2011, Stipulations and 

Deferred Blocks’’ depicts those blocks 

on which one or more of four lease 

stipulations apply: (1) Topographic 

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

the Sea Convention Royalty Payment; 

(4) Protected Species. The texts of the 

stipulations are contained in the 

document ‘‘Lease Stipulations, Western 

Planning Area, Oil and Gas Lease Sale 

218, Final Notice of Sale’’ included in 

this Final NOS 218 Package. In addition, 

the ‘‘List of Blocks Available for 

Leasing,’’ contained in the Final NOS 

218 Package identifies for each listed 

block the lease stipulations applicable 

to that block. 

Information to Lessees: The Final 

NOS 218 Package contains ‘‘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 218, not to be opened until 

9 a.m., Wednesday, December 14, 

2011.’’ 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 218 

Package. A blank bid form has been 

provided therein for convenience and 

may be copied and filled in. The Final 

NOS 218 Package includes a sample bid 

envelope for reference. 

The Final NOS 218 Package also 

includes the Telephone Numbers/ 

Addresses of Bidders Form. 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 

inside the sealed bid envelope. 

BOEM published a list of restricted 

joint bidders for this lease sale in the 

Federal Register at 76 FR 67759 on 

November 2, 2011. 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 Gulf of 

Mexico 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 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 219 / Monday, November 14, 2011 / Notices 70477 

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 218 

Package). 

Withdrawal of Bids: Once submitted, 

bid(s) may not be withdrawn unless the 

RD receives a written request for 

withdrawal from the company who 

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

Tuesday, December 13, 2011. 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 of the bid(s) 

to be withdrawn. The request must be 

in conformance with signatory 

authorizations on file in BOEM Gulf of 

Mexico Region Adjudication Section. 

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 BOEM GOM 

Region Adjudication Section. The name 

and title of said signatory must be typed 

under the signature block on the 

withdrawal letter. Upon the RD’s, or his 

designee’s, approval of such requests, he 

will indicate his approval by affixing his 

signature and date to the submitting 

company’s request for withdrawal. 

Rounding: The following procedure 

must be used to calculate the minimum 

bonus bid, annual rental, and minimum 

royalty: Round up to the next whole 

acre if the block acreage contains a 

decimal figure prior to calculating the 

minimum bonus bid, annual rental, and 

minimum royalty amounts. The 

appropriate rate per acre is applied to 

the whole (rounded up) acreage. 

The bonus bid must be in whole 

dollar amounts and greater than or equal 

to the minimum bonus bid. The 

appropriate minimum bid per-acre rate 

is applied to the whole (rounded up) 

acreage and the resultant calculation is 

rounded up to the next whole dollar 

amount if the calculation results in any 

cents. The minimum bonus bid 

calculation, including all rounding, is 

shown in the document ‘‘List of Blocks 

Available for Leasing’’ included in the 

Final NOS 218 Package. 

Bonus Bid Deposit: Each bidder 

submitting an apparent high bid must 

submit a bonus bid deposit to the 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 (account information provided 

in the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) 

instructions found on the BOEM Web 

site at: http://gomr.boem.gov/homepg/ 

lsesale/218/EFT-Inst-June 20-2011.pdf) 

by 11 a.m. Eastern Time the day 

following bid reading (no exceptions). 

Under the authority granted by 30 CFR 

556.46(b), BOEM requires bidders to use 

electronic funds transfer procedures for 

payment of one-fifth bonus bid deposits 

for Lease Sale 218, 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 shall 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. 

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, one of the 

following options may be used: (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. The EFT instructions specify the 

requirements for each option. 

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 the bidder has 

complied with all requirements of this 

Notice, including those set forth in the 

documents contained in the associated 

Final NOS 218 Package and applicable 

regulations; the bid is the highest valid 

bid; and 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 Notice, the Act, and 

other applicable regulations may be 

returned to the bidder submitting that 

bid by the RD and not be considered for 

acceptance. The Attorney General may 

also review the results of the lease sale 

prior to the acceptance of bids and 

issuance of leases for anti-trust issues. 

To ensure that the Government 

receives a fair return for the conveyance 

of lease rights for this lease sale, high 

bids will be evaluated in accordance 

with BOEM bid adequacy procedures. A 

copy of current procedures, 

‘‘Modifications to the Bid Adequacy 

Procedures’’ at 64 FR 37560 on July 12, 

1999, can be obtained from the BOEM 

Gulf of Mexico Region Public 

Information Unit or via the BOEM Gulf 

of Mexico Region Internet Web site at: 

http://www.gomr.boem.gov/homepg/ 

lsesale/174/174BIDAD.PDF. In the 

existing bid adequacy procedures, water 

depth categories in the Gulf of Mexico 

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 Gulf of Mexico 

sale, they will be specified in the sale’s 

final notice. For Sale 218, the water 

depth categories are specified as (1) less 

than 400 meters and (2) 400 meters or 

more. 

Successful Bidders: The BOEM 

requires each company that has been 

awarded a lease to execute all copies of 

the lease (Form BOEM–2005 (October 

2011), as amended), 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 

satisfy the bonding requirements of 30 

CFR part 556, subpart I, as amended. 

Affirmative Action: The BOEM 

requests 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 Gulf of Mexico 

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 251.12, 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

70478 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 219 / Monday, November 14, 2011 / Notices 

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 Sale 218, 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 any 

enhanced or reprocessed geophysical 

data and information generated or used 

as part of the decision to bid or 

participate in a bid on the block 

(including the use of Controlled Source 

Electromagnetics, Gravity, etc.). The 

data identified in the GDIS should 

clearly identify whether the data or 

information are multi-client 

(speculative) data sets available directly 

from geophysical contractors or 

exclusive (proprietary) data sets 

specially processed for or by bidders. In 

addition, the GDIS should clearly 

identify the data type (2–D or 3–D, prestack 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 (Wave 

Equation Migration, Reverse Time 

Migration, etc.) of the data and 

information. The statement must also 

include the name, 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 post-sale, the 

processing company, date processing 

was completed, owner of the original 

data set (who initially acquired the 

data), original data survey name and 

permit number. 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. 

The statement must also 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 

enhanced or reprocessed pre- or poststack 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 enhanced 

geophysical data and information were 

used in bid preparation for the block. 

In the event a company supplies any 

type of data to BOEM, that company 

must meet the following requirements to 

qualify for reimbursement: 

1. The company must be registered 

with the Central Contractor Registration 

(CCR). The initial registration is valid 

for one year and must be updated 

annually thereafter. The Web site for 

registering is: http://www.ccr.gov. This 

is a requirement that was implemented 

on October 1, 2003, and requires all 

entities doing business with the 

Government to complete a business 

profile in the CCR. Payments are made 

electronically based on the banking 

information contained in the CCR. 

Therefore, if the company is not actively 

registered in the CCR, BOEM will not be 

able to reimburse or pay that company 

for any data supplied. 

2. Effective May 1, 2011, the 

Department of Interior is requiring all of 

its agencies and bureaus to use the 

Department of Treasury’s Internet 

Payment Platform (IPP) for electronic 

invoicing. The company must enroll at 

the IPP Web site 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. In addition, the company must 

complete an on-line Representations 

and Certifications application at 

www.bpn.gov. Even though the 

company may have never provided this 

information previously, it must now do 

so in order to do business with the 

Government or receive reimbursement. 

Note: The GDIS Information Table can be 

submitted digitally on a CD or DVD as an 

Excel Spreadsheet. 

Force Majeure: The BOEM Regional 

Director of the GOM Region has the 

discretion to change any date, time, 

and/or location specified in the Final 

NOS 218 Package in case of a force 

majeure event that the 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 (earthquakes, 

hurricanes, and floods), wars, riots, and 

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 our 

Web site at: http://www.gomr.boem.gov 

for information about any changes. 

Dated: November 8, 2011. 

Tommy P. Beaudreau, 

Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management. 

[FR Doc. 2011–29340 Filed 11–10–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

Gulf of Mexico (GOM), Outer 

Continental Shelf (OCS), Western 

Planning Area (WPA), Oil and Gas 

Lease Sale for the 2007–2012 5-Year 

OCS Program 

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management (BOEM), Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA). 

SUMMARY: BOEM has prepared a ROD on 

an oil and gas lease sale tentatively 

scheduled for December 14, 2011 for 

WPA Lease Sale 218, which is the final 

WPA lease sale in the 2007–2012 5-Year 

OCS Program. The proposed sale is in 

the GOM WPA off the States of Texas 

and Louisiana. In preparing its decision, 

BOEM considered alternatives to the 

Proposed Action and the impacts as 

presented in the Final Supplemental 

Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) 

and all comments received throughout 

the NEPA process. The Final SEIS 

updated the environmental and 

socioeconomic analyses for WPA Lease 

Sale 218, originally evaluated in the 

GOM OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 

2007–2012; WPA Sales 204, 207, 210, 

215, and 218; Central Planning Area 

(CPA) Sales 205, 206, 208, 213, 216, and 

222, Final EIS (OCS EIS/EA MMS 2007– 

018) (Multisale EIS), completed in April 

2007 and updated the environmental 

and socioeconomic analyses for WPA 

Lease Sale 218 in the GOM OCS Oil and 

Gas Lease Sales: 2009–2012; CPA Sales 

208, 213, 216, and 222; WPA Sales 210, 

215, and 218; Final SEIS (OCS EIS/EA 

MMS 2008–041) (2009–2012 

Supplemental EIS), completed in 

September 2008. BOEM has selected the 

proposed action, identified as the 

Agency’s preferred alternative 

(Alternative A) in the Final SEIS, and 

will offer for lease all unleased blocks 

within the WPA for oil and gas 

operations, except whole and partial 

blocks within the boundary of the 

Flower Garden Banks National Marine 

Sanctuary and whole and partial blocks 

in the Western Gap buffer area. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 

18, 2010, the Minerals Management 

Service (MMS) was renamed the Bureau 

of Ocean Energy Management, 

Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE). 

Effective October 1, 2011, BOEMRE was 

reorganized and separated into two 

separate bureaus, BOEM and the Bureau 

of Safety and Environmental 

Enforcement (BSEE). BOEM is 

responsible for managing development 

of the nation’s offshore resources in an 

environmentally and economically 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES