[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 25 (Friday, February 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6764-6765]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-02272]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[MMAA 104000]


Gulf of Mexico, Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), Central Planning 
Area (CPA) Oil and Gas Lease Sales 235, 241, and 247

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

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) of a Record of Decision (ROD) for 
CPA Lease Sale 235 in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 
2015-2017; Central Planning Area Lease Sales 235, 241, and 247; Final 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (CPA 235, 241, and 247 
Supplemental EIS).

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SUMMARY: BOEM has prepared a ROD for proposed oil and gas CPA Lease 
Sale 235, which is scheduled for March 18, 2015. The proposed lease 
sale is in the Gulf of Mexico's CPA off the States of Louisiana, 
Mississippi, and Alabama. Proposed CPA Lease Sale 235 is the third CPA 
lease sale scheduled in the OCS Oil & Gas Leasing Program for 2012-2017 
(Five-Year Program). The CPA 235, 241, and 247 Supplemental EIS 
evaluated the environmental and socioeconomic impacts for proposed CPA 
Lease Sale 235. In making its decision, BOEM considered two 
alternatives to the proposed action, the potential impacts as presented 
in the CPA 235, 241, and 247 Supplemental EIS, and all comments 
received throughout the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
process.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the CPA 235, 241, and 247 Supplemental 
EIS, BOEM evaluated the three alternatives that are summarized below:
    Alternative A--The Proposed Action: This is BOEM's preferred 
alternative. This alternative would offer for lease all unleased blocks 
within the proposed CPA lease sale area for oil and gas operations with 
the following exceptions: Whole and partial blocks deferred by the Gulf 
of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006; and, blocks that are adjacent to 
or beyond the United States Exclusive Economic Zone in the area known 
as the northern portion of the Eastern Gap.
    All unleased whole and partial blocks in the CPA that BOEM will 
offer for leasing in proposed CPA Lease Sale 235 are listed in the 
document ``List of Blocks Available for Leasing,'' which is included in 
the Final Notice of Sale 235 Package. The proposed CPA lease sale area 
encompasses about 63 million acres of the total CPA area of 66.45 
million acres. As of January 2015, approximately 41 million acres of 
the

[[Page 6765]]

proposed CPA lease sale area are currently unleased. The estimated 
amount of resources projected to be developed as a result of the 
proposed CPA lease sale is 0.460-0.894 billion barrels of oil (BBO) and 
1.939-3.903 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of gas.
    Alternative B--Exclude the Unleased Blocks Near the Biologically 
Sensitive Topographic Features: This alternative would offer for lease 
all unleased blocks within the proposed CPA lease sale area, as 
described for the proposed action (Alternative A), but it would exclude 
from leasing any unleased blocks subject to the Topographic Features 
Stipulation. The estimated amount of resources projected to be 
developed under Alternative B is 0.460-0.894 BBO and 1.939-3.903 Tcf of 
gas. The number of blocks that would not be offered under Alternative B 
represents only a small percentage of the total number of blocks to be 
offered under Alternative A; therefore, it is estimated that the levels 
of activity for Alternative B would be essentially the same as those 
projected for a CPA proposed action.
    Alternative C--No Action: This alternative is the cancellation of 
proposed CPA Lease Sale 235 and is identified as the environmentally 
preferred alternative.
    After careful consideration, the Assistant Secretary--Land and 
Minerals Management has selected the proposed action, identified as 
BOEM's preferred alternative (Alternative A) in the CPA 235, 241, and 
247 Supplemental EIS. BOEM's selection of the preferred alternative 
meets the purpose and need for the proposed action, as identified in 
the CPA 235, 241, and 247 Supplemental EIS, and reflects an orderly 
resource development with appropriate 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 
copy of the ROD for proposed CPA Lease Sale 235, you may contact BOEM, 
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, Public Information Office (GM 335A), 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://www.boem.gov/nepaprocess/.

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 part 1503) implementing the provisions of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 
et seq.).

    Dated: January 22, 2015.
Abigail Ross Hopper,
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
[FR Doc. 2015-02272 Filed 2-5-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P