[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 157 (Thursday, August 14, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43547-43548]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-21578]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service


Changes in Military Warning Areas for the Western Gulf of Mexico

ACTION: Notice of changes in Military Warning Areas for the Western 
Gulf of Mexico.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Defense (DOD) has recently issued a document 
describing changes in Military Warning Areas in the Gulf of Mexico. The 
MMS is giving notice of these changes to existing lessees and to 
potential bidders in Outer Continental Shelf Lease Sale 168, Western 
Gulf of Mexico.

CONTACT: Charles Hill, Gulf of Mexico Regional Office (504) 736-2795.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General

    The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is giving notice to lessees 
and to potential bidders in Sale 168, Western Gulf of Mexico, of the 
existence of Military Warning Areas. The Department of Defense (DOD) 
established these Warning Areas in the Flight Information Publication 
``Area Planning--Special Use Airspace--North and South America'' (NIMA 
reference number PLANXAP1A). This document is published by the National 
Imagery and Mapping Agency, 3200 South Second Street, St. Louis, 
Missouri 63118-3399. The DOD published the most recent version of this 
document on July 17, 1997; the next issue is expected to be published 
on June 18, 1998. The DOD will reissue it from time to time in the 
future.
    Three Warning Areas currently are established in the Western Gulf 
of Mexico Planning Area: W-147, W-228, and W-602. W-147 is newly 
established by this July 17, 1997, issue of the document; the Federal 
Aviation Administration (FAA) controls this airspace (a portion of this 
warning area extends into the Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area). W-
228 has long been in existence and the July 7, 1997, document did not 
change it; the Navy controls this airspace. W-602 is also a long-
established area, but the DOD changed it significantly; the Navy also 
controls this airspace.
    Certain restrictions on flights and radio communications in the 
Warning Areas will require close coordination between lessees (and 
their operators and agents) and the appropriate military commander or 
the FAA in charge of the specific Warning Area. It is the 
responsibility of lessees to establish and maintain contact and 
coordination with the military commander(s) or the FAA in any Warning 
Area in which operations or flights would be expected in the course of 
occupying and developing any leases; this could include flights through 
a Warning Area traveling to a leased block which is not in a Warning 
Area.
    Lessees should establish and maintain contact and coordination with 
the appropriate military commander(s) or the FAA whether or not there 
is a military stipulation in their lease(s).

II. Oil and Gas Lease Sale 168

    Potential bidders in Oil and Gas Lease Sale 168 in the Western Gulf 
of Mexico (to be held in New Orleans on August 27, 1997) should note 
that in the July 17, 1997, document DOD changed the area of W-602. 
Therefore, the map referred to in Stipulation No. 2--Military Areas, 
paragraph 13 of the Final Notice of Sale for Oil and Gas Lease Sale 168 
(62 FR 39863-39871), is outdated. MMS is advising potential bidders of 
the newly configured W-602. The blocks in W-602 are listed in Appendix 
1 of this notice, and a revised map showing the Warning Areas is 
available as noted below. The area to

[[Page 43548]]

which the stipulation for leases in W-228 applies has not been changed. 
The FAA controls the new W-147; lessees and operators should coordinate 
operations in W-147 with the FAA.

III. Addresses and Contacts

    A list of the Warning Areas in the Western Gulf of Mexico planning 
area follows, indicating the military commander or FAA office with 
operational responsibilities in each Warning Area. A map of the Western 
Gulf showing the Warning Areas and lease blocks is available from the 
MMS Gulf of Mexico Regional Office Public Information Unit, 1201 
Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394; or call 
(504) 736-2519 or (800) 200-GULF.

 Contacts for Oil and Gas Activities Within the Gulf of Mexico, Western 
                             Gulf of Mexico                             
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         Warning areas                    Command headquarters          
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W-147.........................  Federal Aviation Administration, Houston
                                 Air Route Traffic Control (ARTC)       
                                 Center, 16600 John F. Kennedy          
                                 Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77032,       
                                 Telephone: (281) 230-5536/5630.        
W-228.........................  Chief, Naval Air Training, Naval Air    
                                 Station, Office No. 206, Corpus        
                                 Christi, Texas 78419-5100, Telephone:  
                                 (512) 939-3862/2621.                   
W-602.........................  Strategic Command Wing 1, Fleet Area    
                                 Reconnaissance 4, Operations           
                                 Department, Tinker Air Force Base,     
                                 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73145-8704,    
                                 Telephone: (405) 739-5700/4527.        
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Thomas A. Readinger,
Acting Associate Director for Offshore Minerals Management.

Appendix 1--Blocks Within Military Warning Area W-602; Leases From Sale 
168 on These Blocks Will Include Stipulation 2

                              Garden Banks                              
                                                                        
749............................................    837-838  925-926     
793............................................    881-882  969-971     
                                                                        
                             Keathley Canyon                            
                                                                        
1-3............................................    353-358  705-714     
45-48..........................................    397-403  749-758     
89-92..........................................    441-447  793-801     
133-136........................................    485-492  837-844     
177-181........................................    529-536  881-887     
221-225........................................    573-580  925-930     
265-270........................................    617-625  969-973     
309-314........................................   661-669               
                               East Breaks                              
                                                                        
388-390........................................    598-612  807-833     
430-435........................................    640-657  849-877     
472-479........................................    682-701  892-921     
514-523........................................    724-745  935-965     
556-568........................................    765-789  979-1009    
                                                                        
                             Alaminos Canyon                            
                                                                        
10-41..........................................    358-393  706-745     
54-85..........................................    402-437  750-789     
97-129.........................................    445-481  793-833     
141-173........................................    489-525  837-877     
184-217........................................    532-569  881-921     
228-261........................................    576-613  925-965     
271-305........................................    619-657  992-1009    
315-349........................................    663-701              
                                                                        
                              Port Isabel                               
                                                                        
924                                                                     
968                                                                     
                                                                        

[FR Doc. 97-21578 Filed 8-13-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P