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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 145 (Monday, July 29, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45557-45558]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-18173]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[MMAA104000]

Gulf of Mexico, Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Western Planning 
Area (WPA) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 233

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Record of Decision.

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SUMMARY: BOEM has prepared a Record of Decision (ROD) for WPA Lease 
Sale 233 on the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2013-2014; 
Western Planning Area Lease Sale 233, and Central Planning Area Lease 
Sale 231; Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (WPA 233/
CPA 231 Supplemental EIS). WPA Lease Sale 233, scheduled for August 28, 
2013, is the second WPA lease sale scheduled in the Proposed Final 
Outer Continental Shelf Oil & Gas Leasing Program: 2012-2017. The lease 
sale is in the Gulf of Mexico's WPA off the States of Texas and 
Louisiana. In making its decision, BOEM considered alternatives to the 
proposed action and the potential impacts as presented in the WPA 233/
CPA 231 Supplemental EIS and all comments received throughout the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. The WPA 233/CPA 231 
Supplemental EIS evaluated the environmental and socioeconomic impacts 
for WPA Lease Sale 233.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the WPA 233/CPA 231 Supplemental EIS, 
BOEM evaluated three alternatives, which are summarized below:
    Alternative A--The Proposed Action: This is BOEM's preferred 
alternative identified in the WPA 233/CPA 231 Supplemental EIS. This 
alternative would offer for lease all unleased blocks within the WPA 
for oil and gas operations. A subset of Alternative A includes the 
following exceptions:
    (1) whole and partial blocks within the boundary of the Flower 
Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (i.e., the boundary as of the 
publication of the WPA 233/CPA 231 Supplemental EIS).
    (2) 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 (the 
``1.4 nautical mile buffer'').
    The proposed WPA lease sale area encompasses about 28.58 million 
acres. As of May 2013, approximately 20.6 million acres of the proposed 
WPA lease sale area are currently unleased. The estimated amount of 
resources projected to be developed as a result of proposed WPA Lease 
Sale 233 is 0.116-0.200 billion barrels of oil (BBO) and 0.538-0.938 
trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of gas.
    Alternative B--The Proposed Action Excluding the Unleased Blocks 
Near Biologically Sensitive Topographic Features: This alternative 
would offer for lease all unleased blocks within the proposed WPA lease 
sale area, as described for the proposed action (Alternative A), with 
the exception of any unleased blocks subject to the Topographic 
Features Stipulation.
    Alternative C--No Action: This alternative is the cancellation of 
proposed WPA Lease Sale 233 and is identified as the environmentally 
preferred alternative.
    After careful consideration, BOEM has selected a subset of the 
proposed action, identified as BOEM's preferred alternative 
(Alternative A) in the WPA 233/CPA 231 Supplemental EIS. Although 
considered as part of the proposed action identified in the WPA 233/CPA 
231 Supplemental EIS, BOEM is excluding from WPA Lease Sale 233 whole 
and partial blocks within the boundary of the Flower Garden Banks 
National Marine Sanctuary (i.e., the boundary as of the publication of 
the WPA 233/CPA 231 Supplemental EIS). Also excluded are whole blocks 
and portions of blocks that lie within the former Western Gap and that 
lie within 1.4 nautical miles (nmi) north of the Continental Shelf 
boundary between the United States and Mexico (the 1.4 nmi buffer). A 
Continental Shelf boundary treaty between the United States and the 
United Mexican States currently prohibits exploration and development 
in the 1.4 nmi buffer. As such, BOEM is excluding the 1.4 nmi buffer 
from WPA Lease Sale 233. BOEM's selection of this subset of the 
preferred alternative reflects a balancing of the need for orderly 
resource development with protection of the human, marine, and coastal 
environments, while also ensuring that the public receives an equitable 
return for these resources and that free-market competition is 
maintained.
    Record of Decision Availability: To obtain a single printed or CD-
ROM copy of the ROD for proposed WPA Lease Sale 233, you may contact 
BOEM, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Public Information Office (GM 250I), 
1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394 (1-800-
200-GULF). An electronic copy of the ROD is available on BOEM's 
Internet Web site at http://boem.gov/Environmental-Stewardship/Environmental-Assessment/NEPA/nepaprocess.aspx.

[[Page 45558]]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For more information on the ROD, you 
may contact Mr. Gary D. Goeke, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Gulf 
of Mexico OCS Region, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard (GM 623E), New 
Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394. You may also contact Mr. Goeke by 
telephone at (504) 736-3233.

    Authority: This NOA is published pursuant to the regulations (40 
CFR 1506) implementing the provisions of the NEPA of 1969, as 
amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. [1988]).

    Dated: July 17, 2013.
Tommy P. Beaudreau,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2013-18173 Filed 7-26-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P
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