[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 61 (Friday, March 30, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15152-15153]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-5883]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[MT-030-1320-EL, MTM 94378]


Notice of Federal Competitive Coal Lease Sale, Montana

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Competitive Coal Lease Sale, lease application MTM 
94378.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the United States Department of 
Interior (DOI), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Montana State Office, 
will offer coal reserves in the lands described below in Big Horn 
County, Montana, hereinafter described as Federal coal lease 
application (LBA) MTM 94378 for competitive lease by sealed bid in 
accordance with the provisions for competitive lease sales in 43 CFR 
part 3422.2(a), and the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended and 
supplemented (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.)

DATES: The lease sale will be held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, April 17, 2007. 
Sealed bids must be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, 
or be hand delivered to the address indicated below, and must be 
received on or before 10 a.m., April 17, 2007.

ADDRESSES: The lease sale will be held in the BLM Montana State Office, 
920 Conference Room, 5001 Southgate Drive, Billings, Montana 59101-
4669. Sealed bids clearly marked ``Sealed Bid for MTM 94378 Coal Sale--
Not to be opened before 11 a.m., Tuesday, April 17, 2007'' must be 
submitted to the Cashier, BLM Montana State Office, at the address 
given above. The cashier will issue a receipt for each hand delivered 
sealed bid. Any bid received after the time specified will not be 
considered and will be returned.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Connie Schaff, Land Law Examiner, or 
Rebecca Spurgin, Coal Coordinator, at 406-896-5060 or 406-896-5080, 
respectively.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This sale is being held in response to a LBA 
filed by Spring Creek Coal Company on March 7, 2005. All coal LBAs 
submitted to BLM for processing prior to November 7, 2005, are not 
subject to cost recovery on a case-by-case basis (See 43 CFR 
3000.10(d)(1), 70 FR 58872, October 7, 2005). The Federal coal resource 
to be offered consists of all recoverable reserves in the following 
described lands:

Tract 1:

T. 8 S., R. 39 E., P.M.M.
    Sec. 13: SW\1/4\NW\1/4\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\SE\1/
4\NW\1/4\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\SW\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\SW\1/
4\SW\1/4\, SE\1/4\SE\1/4\SW\1/4\SW\1/4\, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, NW\1/
4\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\, SW\1/
4\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\
    Sec. 14: Beginning at a point bearing S. 60[deg]25'06'' E., 
2299.67 feet from the section corner of sections. 10, 11, 14, and 15 
and on the N-S center line of the NE\1/4\NW\1/4\ of section 14 and 
at 528.30 feet southerly from the NE-NW\1/64\ section corner of 
section 14; thence on the exclusion boundary line, S. 90[deg]00'00'' 
E., 317.70 feet; thence S. 55[deg]21'33'' E., 1741.06 feet; thence 
N. 38[deg]32'16'' E., 1422.65 feet, to a point on the N-S center 
line of the NE\1/4\NE\1/4\ of said section; thence northerly on the 
N-S center line of the NE\1/4\NE\1/4\ of said section to the NE-
NE\1/64\ section corner of said section; thence easterly on the E-W 
center line of the NE\1/4\NE\1/4\ of said section to the N-N\1/64\ 
section corner of sections 13 and 14; thence southerly on the 
section line between sections 13 and 14 to the N-S-S\1/256\ section 
corner of sections 13 and 14; thence westerly on the E-W center line 
of the NE\1/4\SE\1/4\SE\1/4\ of section 14 to the NE-SE-SE\1/256\ 
section corner of said section; thence northerly on the N-S center 
line of the NE\1/4\SE\1/4\SE\1/4\ of said section to the C-E-E-SE\1/
256\ section corner of said section, on the E-W center line of the 
SE\1/4\ of said section; thence westerly on the E-W center line of 
the SE\1/4\ of said section to the C-E-SE\1/64\ section corner of 
said section; thence northerly on the N-S center line of the NE\1/
4\SE\1/4\ of said section to the C-S-NE-SE\1/256\ section corner of 
said section; thence westerly on the E-W center line of the SE\1/
4\NE\1/4\SE\1/4\ of said section to the C-S-N-SE\1/256\ section 
corner of said section; thence northerly on the N-S center line of 
the SE\1/4\ of said section to

[[Page 15153]]

the C-E\1/16\ section corner of said section; thence westerly on the 
E-W center line of said section to the C\1/4\ section corner of said 
section; thence northerly on the N-S center line of said section to 
the C-S-N\1/64\ section corner of said section; thence westerly on 
the E-W center line of the S\1/2\ of the NW\1/4\ of said section to 
the SW-NW\1/64\ section corner of said section; thence northerly on 
the N-S center line of the SW\1/4\NW\1/4\ of said section to the C-
W-NW\1/64\ section corner of said section; thence easterly on the E-
W center line of the NW\1/4\ of said section to the C-E-NW\1/64\ 
section corner of said section; thence northerly on the N-S center 
line of the NE\1/4\NW\1/4\ of said section to the point of 
beginning, containing 137.70 acres, more or less.
    Sec. 24: N\1/2\NE\1/4\NW\1/4\

Total: 425.2 acres

Tract 2:
T. 8 S., R. 39 E., P.M.M.
    Sec. 15: W\1/2\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\
    Sec. 22: NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, N\1/2\NW\1/4\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/
4\NE\1/4\, NE\1/4\SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\NW\1/4\
    Sec. 23: SW\1/4\SW\1/4\NW\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\N\1/2\NW\1/4\, S\1/
2\NW\1/4\

Total: 242.5 acres

Tract 3:

T.8S., R. 39E., P.M.M.
    Sec. 25: SW\1/4\SW\1/4\
    Sec. 26: SW\1/4\NE\1/4\NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, W\1/2\NW\1/4\NE\1/4\SW\1/
4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, S\1/2\NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, NW\1/4\SW\1/
4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, S\1/2\SE\1/4\
    Sec. 27: SW\1/4\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, 
NW\1/4\NE\1/4\SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\NE\1/4\SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, W\1/
2\SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, E\1/2\SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, N\1/
2\NE\1/4\SE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\SE\1/4\, NE\1/4\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\

Total: 350.0 acres

Tract 4

T. 8 S., R. 40 E., P.M.M.
    Sec. 30: S\1/2\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, S\1/2\SE\1/4\

Total: 100.0 acres

    Containing approximately 1,117.700 acres in Big Horn County, 
Montana.

    The LBA's total recoverable coal reserves are estimated to be 108.6 
million tons (averaging 79.5 feet in thickness) and the average 
overburden depth is 234.2 feet.
    The estimated coal quality on an as-received basis is as follows:

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BTU....................................  9,331 BTU/lb.
Volatile Matter........................  32.02
Fixed Carbon...........................  38.53
Moisture...............................  25.71
Sulphur Content........................  0.35
Ash Content............................  3.80
Sodium.................................  8.38
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    The tracts will be leased to the qualified bidder of the highest 
cash amount, provided that the high bid meets or exceeds the BLM's pre-
sale estimate of fair market value (FMV). No bid that is less than $100 
per acre, or fraction thereof, will be considered. The DOI has 
established a minimum bid of $100 per acre or fraction thereof for 
Federal coal tracts. The minimum bid is not intended to represent FMV. 
The FMV will be determined by the BLM after the sale. In the event 
identical high sealed bids are received, the tying high bidders will be 
requested to submit follow-up bids until a high bid is received. All 
tie-breaking sealed-bids must be submitted within 15 minutes following 
the Sale Official's announcement at the sale that identical high bids 
have been received.
    A lease issued as a result of this offering will provide for 
payment of an annual rental of $3 per acre, or fraction thereof; and a 
royalty payable to the United States of 12.5 percent of the value of 
coal mined by surface methods and 8.0 percent of the value of coal 
mined by underground methods. The value of the coal will be determined 
in accordance with 30 CFR 206.250.
    Bidding instructions for the tracts offered and the terms and 
conditions of the proposed coal lease are included in the Detailed 
Statement of Lease Sale. Copies of the Detailed Statement and the 
proposed coal lease are available at the Montana State Office at the 
address given above. Casefile MTM 94378 is available for inspection at 
the Montana State Office during normal business hours at the address 
above.

    Dated: February 22, 2007.
Randy D. Heuscher,
Chief of Solid Minerals.
[FR Doc. E7-5883 Filed 3-29-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DK-P