Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 138 / Friday, July 18, 2014 / Notices 42041 

i. The Colorado Riverway SRMA; and 

ii. High visitation sites within the 

Labyrinth Rim/Gemini Bridges SRMA. 

(6) You must not possess or use glass 

beverage containers in the following 

areas: 

i. Moab Canyon Sand Hill within 

Sections 20 and 21 of Township 25 

South, Range 21 East, Salt Lake 

Meridian; and 

ii. Powerhouse Lane Trailhead, Lower 

Mill Creek, and the North Fork of Mill 

Creek for a distance of one mile from the 

trailhead at Powerhouse Lane within 

Sections 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10 of Township 

26 South, Range 22 East, Salt Lake 

Meridian. 

(7) You must not camp at a nondesignated site. 

(8) You must not ignite or maintain a 

campfire at a non-designated site. 

(9) You must not dispose of human 

waste in any other container than a 

portable toilet. 

(10) You must not gather wood. 

Rules 7, 8, 9 and 10 apply to lands 

within one half mile of the following 

roads: 

i. Utah Highway 313; 

ii. The Island in the Sky entrance road 

between Utah Highway 313 and 

Canyonlands; 

iii. The Gemini Bridges Route (Grand 

County Road No. 118) and the spur 

route into Bride Canyon within Section 

24, Township 25 South, Range 20 East, 

Salt Lake Meridian; 

iv. The Kane Springs Creek Canyon 

Rim route from U.S. Highway 191 to 

where it first crosses the eastern 

boundary of Section 20, Township 27 

South, Range 22 East, Salt Lake 

Meridian, exclusive of the State and 

private land west of Blue Hill in 

Sections 25, 26, 35, and 36; and 

Rules 7, 8, 9 and 10 also apply to: 

v. Lands within Long Canyon (Grand 

County Road No. 135) coincident with 

a portion of the Colorado Riverway 

SRMA and the BLM lands within Dead 

Horse Point State Park. 

vi. Lands along both sides of U.S. 

Highway 191 bounded by Arches 

National Park on the east, private lands 

in Moab Valley on the south, the Union 

Pacific Railroad Potash Rail Spur on the 

west, and private and State land near 

the lower Gemini Bridges Trailhead on 

the north. 

vii. Lands located between the upper 

end of the Nefertiti Rapid parking area 

in Section 1, Township 19 South, Range 

16 East, Salt Lake Meridian, along the 

shoreline of the Green River on the east 

side of the river to Swaseys Take-Out in 

Section 3, Township 20 South, Range 16 

East, Salt Lake Meridian. This includes 

all public lands between Nefertiti and 

Swaseys along Grand County Road No. 

154. 

viii. Lands including Castle Rock, Ida 

Gulch, Professor Valley, Mary Jane 

Canyon, and the upper Onion Creek 

areas that are south of the Colorado 

Riverway SRMA, below the rims of 

Adobe and Fisher Mesas, and west of 

the private land in Fisher Valley; 

ix. Lands along the Potash Trail 

(Grand County Road Nos. 134 and 142, 

between the western end of Potash 

Lower Colorado River Scenic Byway 

(Grand County Road No. 279) and 

Canyonlands National Park) that are east 

of Canyonlands National Park, south of 

Dead Horse Point State Park, and other 

State and private lands north of the 

Colorado river and west of the Colorado 

Riverway SRMA, excluding riverside 

campsites accessible by water craft from 

the Colorado River; 

x. Lands located at the southern end 

of Spanish Valley located on the east 

and west sides of U.S. Highway 191 to 

the rim of the valley, south of the San 

Juan County line to the Kane Springs 

Creek Canyon Rim Road. 

xi. Lands within the Mill Creek 

Canyon ACEC and the Mill Creek 

Canyon Wilderness Study Area (WSA). 

Backpack-type camping within the Mill 

Creek Canyon ACEC and the Mill Creek 

Canyon WSA is allowed at sites onequarter mile or farther from designated 

roads and greater than 100 feet from 

Mill Creek and archaeological sites. 

xii. Lands within Desert Bighorn 

Sheep lambing areas (46,319 acres) as 

shown on map 9 of the Approved Moab 

RMP. 

Monticello Field Office 

Unless otherwise authorized, on all 

public lands administered by the BLM 

Monticello FO: 

(1) You must not camp in 

archaeological sites. 

(2) You must not enter archaeological 

sites designated as closed to the public. 

(3) You must not use ropes or other 

climbing aids to access archaeological 

sites. 

(4) You must not bring domestic pets 

or pack animals to archaeological sites. 

(5) You must not operate a motorized 

or mechanized vehicle on any route, 

trail, or area not designated as open to 

such use by a BLM sign or map. 

(6) You must not ignite or maintain a 

campfire in the Dark Canyon SRMA or 

White Canyon SRMA. 

Penalties 

Under the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934, 

43 U.S.C. 315a, any willful violation of 

these supplementary rules on public 

lands within a grazing district shall be 

punishable by a fine of not more than 

$500 or, under Section 303(a) of the 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act of 1976, 43 U.S.C. 1733(a) and 43 

CFR 8360.0–7, any person who violates 

any of these supplementary rules on 

public lands within Utah may be tried 

before a United States Magistrate and 

fined no more than $1,000, imprisoned 

for no more than 12 months, or both. 

Such violations may also be subject to 

the enhanced fines provided for by 18 

U.S.C. 3571. 

Exemptions 

Any Federal, State, local or military 

persons acting within the scope of their 

duties; and members of an organized 

rescue or firefighting force in 

performance of an official duty. Such 

violations may also be subject to the 

enhanced fines provided for by 18 

U.S.C. 3571. 

Juan Palma, 

State Director, Bureau of Land Management, 

Utah. 

[FR Doc. 2014–16699 Filed 7–17–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–DQ–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

[MMAA104000] 

Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Area 

(WPA) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) 

Oil and Gas; Lease Sale 238 (WPA Sale 

238) 

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management, Interior. 

ACTION: Final notice of sale. 

SUMMARY: On Wednesday, August 20, 

2014, BOEM will open and publicly 

announce bids received for blocks 

offered in WPA Sale 238 in accordance 

with the provisions of the OCS Lands 

Act (OCSLA, 43 U.S.C. 1331–1356, as 

amended) and the implementing 

regulations issued pursuant thereto (30 

CFR parts 550 and 556). 

The WPA 238 Final Notice of Sale 

(NOS) package (Final NOS Package) 

contains information essential to 

potential bidders, and bidders are 

charged with knowing the contents of 

the documents contained in the Final 

NOS Package. The Final NOS Package is 

available at the address and Web site 

below. 

DATES: Public bid reading for WPA Sale 

238 will begin at 9:00 a.m., Wednesday, 

August 20, 2014, at the Mercedes-Benz 

Superdome, 1500 Sugarbowl Drive, New 

Orleans, Louisiana 70112. The lease sale 

will be held in the St. Charles Club 

Room on the second floor (Loge Level). 

Entry to the Superdome will be on the 

Poydras Street side of the building 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
42042 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 138 / Friday, July 18, 2014 / Notices 

through Gate A on the Ground Level; 

parking will be available at Garage 6. All 

times referred to in this document are 

local times in New Orleans, unless 

otherwise specified. 

BID Submission Deadline: BOEM 

must receive all sealed bids between 

8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on normal 

working days, or from 8:00 a.m. to the 

Bid Submission Deadline of 10:00 a.m. 

on Tuesday, August 19, 2014, the day 

before the lease sale. For more 

information on bid submission, see 

Section VII, ‘‘Bidding Instructions,’’ of 

this document. 

ADDRESSES: Interested parties, upon 

request, may obtain a compact disc (CD– 

ROM) containing the Final NOS Package 

by contacting the BOEM Gulf of Mexico 

Region (GOMR) at: Gulf of Mexico 

Region Public Information Office, 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, 

1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New 

Orleans, Louisiana 70123–2394, (504) 

736–2519 or (800) 200–GULF, or by 

visiting the BOEM Web site at http://

www.boem.gov/Sale-238/. 

Table of Contents 

This Final NOS includes the 

following sections: 

I. Lease Sale Area 

II. Statutes and Regulations 

III. Lease Terms and Economic Conditions 

IV. Lease Stipulations 

V. Information to Lessees 

VI. MAPS 

VII. Bidding Instructions 

VIII. Bidding Rules and Restrictions 

IX. Forms 

X. The Lease Sale 

XI. Delay of Sale 

I. Lease Sale Area 

Blocks Offered for Leasing 

In WPA Sale 238, BOEM is offering 

for lease all blocks and partial blocks in 

the document ‘‘List of Blocks Available 

for Leasing’’ included in the Final NOS 

Package. All of these blocks are shown 

on the following leasing maps and 

Official Protraction Diagrams (OPDs): 

Outer Continental Shelf Leasing Maps— 

Texas Map Numbers 1 Through 8 

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 

November 1, 2000) 

Outer Continental Shelf Leasing Maps— 

Louisiana Map Numbers 1A, 1B, and 12 

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 July 1, 

2011) 

Outer Continental Shelf Official 

Protraction Diagrams 

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 

July 1, 2013) 

NG15–08 Sigsbee Escarpment (revised 

July 1, 2013) 

NG 15–09 Amery Trace (revised July 1, 

2013) 

Please Note: A CD–ROM (in ArcInfo and 

Acrobat (.pdf) format) containing all of the 

GOM leasing maps and OPDs, is available 

from the BOEM Gulf of Mexico Region Public 

Information Office for a price of $15.00. 

These GOM leasing maps and OPDs also are 

available online for free in .pdf and .gra 

formats at http://www.boem.gov/Oil-and-GasEnergy-Program/Mapping-and-Data/OfficialProtraction-Diagrams.aspx. 

For the current status of all WPA 

leasing maps and OPDs, please refer to 

66 FR 28002 (May 21, 2001), 67 FR 

60701 (September 26, 2002), 72 FR 

27590 (May 16, 2007), 76 FR 54787 

(September 2, 2011), and 79 FR 32572 

(June 5, 2014). In addition, 

Supplemental Official OCS Block 

Diagrams (SOBDs) for blocks containing 

the U.S. 200-Nautical Mile Limit line 

and the U.S.-Mexico Maritime and 

Continental Shelf Boundary line are 

available. These SOBDs also are 

available from the BOEM Gulf of Mexico 

Region Public Information Office and on 

BOEM’s Web site at http://

www.boem.gov/Oil-and-Gas-EnergyProgram/Mapping-and-Data/

Supplemental-Official-OCS-BlockDiagrams-SOBDs.aspx. For additional 

information, or to order the above 

referenced maps or diagrams, please call 

the Mapping and Automation Section at 

(504) 736–5768. 

All blocks being offered in the lease 

sale are shown on these leasing maps 

and OPDs. The available Federal acreage 

of each whole and partial block in this 

lease sale is shown in the document 

‘‘List of Blocks Available for Leasing’’ 

included in the Final NOS 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 entitled ‘‘Western Planning 

Area, Lease Sale 238, August 20, 2014— 

Unleased Split Blocks and Available 

Unleased Acreage of Blocks with 

Aliquots and Irregular Portions under 

Lease or Deferred,’’ which is included in 

the Final NOS Package. 

For additional information, please call 

Mr. Lenny Coats, Chief of the Mapping 

and Automation Section, at (504) 736– 

1457. 

Blocks Not Offered for Leasing 

The following whole and partial 

blocks are not offered for lease in this 

sale: 

Whole and partial blocks that lie 

within the boundaries of the Flower 

Garden Banks National Marine 

Sanctuary (Sanctuary) in the East and 

West Flower Garden Banks and Stetson 

Bank. The following list identifies 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 

High Island, South Addition (Leasing Map 

TX7B) 

Portions of Blocks: A–502, A–513 

Garden Banks (OPD NG15–02) 

Portions of Blocks: 134, 135 

* Leased. 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 138 / Friday, July 18, 2014 / Notices 42043 

Blocks That Lie Within the Former 

Western Gap and Within 1.4 Nautical 

Miles North of the Continental Shelf 

Boundary (1.4-Nautical Mile Buffer) 

Between the United States and Mexico 

The United States and Mexico 

exchanged instruments of ratification in 

January 2001, and a Continental Shelf 

Boundary treaty entered into force in 

the Western Gap area of the GOM. The 

treaty states that, at the earliest, 

exploration or development within 1.4 

nautical miles of the Continental Shelf 

Boundary would occur after January 

2011. On June 23, 2010, the United 

States and Mexico mutually agreed to 

extend this period for an additional 

three years. The treaty provision was to 

remain in effect until January 17, 2014, 

but, by exchange of diplomatic notes on 

January 17, 2014, the United States and 

Mexico have extended the prohibition 

on exploration and development in the 

1.4-nautical mile buffer until July 17, 

2014, or until the day the Agreement 

between the United States of America 

and the United Mexican States 

Concerning Transboundary 

Hydrocarbon Reservoirs in the Gulf of 

Mexico (Agreement) enters into force, 

whichever is sooner. The Agreement 

(described below), negotiated between 

and signed by the United States and 

Mexico on February 20, 2012, received 

Congressional approval and the 

President’s signature but required a 

further exchange of diplomatic notes to 

allow it to enter into force. The United 

States and Mexico exchanged 

diplomatic notes on May 19, 2014, 

indicating that the Agreement will enter 

into force on July 18, 2014. As such, 

whole and partial blocks in the 1.4- 

nautical mile buffer area will be offered 

for lease in WPA Sale 238. 

Bids on Blocks Near the U.S.-Mexico 

Maritime and Continental Shelf 

Boundary 

The following definitions apply to 

this section: ‘‘Agreement’’ refers to the 

transboundary agreement between the 

United States of America and the United 

Mexican States that addresses 

identification and unitization of 

transboundary hydrocarbon reservoirs, 

allocation of production, inspections, 

safety, and environmental protection. A 

copy of the Agreement can be found at 

http://www.boem.gov/BOEMNewsroom/Library/BoundariesMexico.aspx.‘‘Boundary Area’’ means 

an area comprised of any and all blocks 

in the WPA that are wholly or partially 

located within 3 statute miles of the 

Maritime and Continental Shelf 

Boundary with Mexico, as that Maritime 

Boundary is delimited in the November 

23, 1970, Treaty to Resolve Pending 

Boundary Differences and Maintain the 

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. 

Bidders should refer to Stipulation 

No. 5 in the Stipulations section of the 

Final NOS Package, which will be 

applicable to leases issued for blocks in 

the Boundary Area. The following 

whole and partial blocks comprise the 

entire Boundary Area (not all of which 

may be available under WPA Sale 238). 

Port Isabel (NG14–06) Blocks—914, 915, 916, 

917, 918, 919, 920, 921, 922, 923, 924, 945, 

946, 947, 948, 958, 959, 960, 961, 962, 963, 

964, 965, 966, 967, 968, 989, 990, 991, and 

992 

Alaminos Canyon (NG15–04) 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,* 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 (NG15–05) 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 (NG15–08) Blocks—11, 

12, 13, 14, 15, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 103, 104, 

105, 106, 148, 149, 150, and 194. 

South Padre Island (TX1) Blocks—1154, 

1163, 1164, 1165, and 1166 

South Padre Island, East Addition (TX1A) 

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 

II. Statutes and Regulations 

Each lease is issued pursuant to 

OCSLA, and is subject to OCSLA, 

implementing regulations promulgated 

pursuant thereto, and other applicable 

statutes and regulations in existence 

upon the effective date of the lease, as 

well as those applicable statutes enacted 

and regulations promulgated thereafter, 

except to the extent that the afterenacted statutes and regulations 

explicitly conflict with an express 

provision of the lease. Each lease also is 

subject to amendments to statutes and 

regulations, including, but not limited 

to, OCSLA, that do not explicitly 

conflict with an express provision of the 

lease. The lessee expressly bears the risk 

that such new or amended statutes and 

regulations (i.e., those that do not 

explicitly conflict with an express 

provision of the lease) may increase or 

decrease the lessee’s obligations under 

the lease. 

III. Lease Terms and Economic 

Conditions 

Lease Terms 

OCS Lease Form 

BOEM will use Form BOEM–2005 

(October 2011) to convey leases 

resulting from this sale. This lease form 

may be viewed on the BOEM Web site 

at http://www.boem.gov/About-BOEM/

Procurement-Business-Opportunities/

BOEM-OCS-Operation-Forms-BOEM2005.aspx. The lease form will be 

amended to conform with the specific 

terms, conditions, and stipulations 

applicable to the individual lease. The 

terms, conditions, and stipulations 

applicable to this sale are set forth 

below. 

Initial Periods 

Initial periods are summarized in the 

following table: 

Water depth 

(meters) Initial period 

0 to < 400 ............................. Standard initial period is 5 years; the lessee may earn an additional 3 years (i.e., for an 8-year extended initial 

period) if a well is spudded targeting hydrocarbons below 25,000 feet True Vertical Depth Subsea (TVD SS) 

during the first 5 years of the lease. 

400 to < 800 ......................... Standard initial period is 5 years; the lessee will earn an additional 3 years (i.e., for an 8-year extended initial period) if a well is spudded during the first 5 years of the lease. 

800 to < 1,600 ...................... Standard initial period is 7 years; the lessee will earn an additional 3 years (i.e., for a 10-year extended initial period) if a well is spudded during the first 7 years of the lease. 

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


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
42044 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 138 / Friday, July 18, 2014 / Notices 

(1) The standard initial period for a 

lease in water depths less than 400 

meters issued as a result of this sale is 

5 years. If the lessee spuds a well 

targeting hydrocarbons below 25,000 

feet TVD SS within the first 5 years of 

the lease, then the lessee may earn an 

additional 3 years, resulting in an 8-year 

extended initial period. The lessee will 

earn the 8-year extended initial period 

when the well is drilled to a target 

below 25,000 feet TVD SS, or the lessee 

may earn the 8-year extended initial 

period in cases where the well targets, 

but does not reach, a depth below 

25,000 feet TVD SS due to mechanical 

or safety reasons, where sufficient 

evidence is provided. 

In order to earn the 8-year extended 

initial period, the lessee is required to 

submit to the Bureau of Safety and 

Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Gulf 

of Mexico 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 a target below 25,000 feet 

TVD SS and whether that target was 

reached, and if applicable, any safety, 

mechanical, or other problems 

encountered that prevented the well 

from reaching a depth below 25,000 feet 

TVD SS. The BSEE Gulf of Mexico 

Regional Supervisor for Production and 

Development must concur in writing 

that the conditions have been met for 

the lessee to earn the 8-year extended 

initial period. The BSEE Gulf of Mexico 

Regional Supervisor for Production and 

Development will provide a written 

response within 30 days of receipt of the 

lessee’s letter. 

A lessee that has earned the 8-year 

extended initial period by spudding a 

well with a hydrocarbon target below 

25,000 feet TVD SS during the first 5 

years of the lease, confirmed by BSEE, 

will not be granted 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 standard initial period for a 

lease in water depths ranging from 400 

to less than 800 meters issued as a result 

of this sale is 5 years. The lessee will 

earn an additional 3 years, resulting in 

an 8-year extended initial period, if the 

lessee spuds a well within the first 5 

years of the lease. 

In order to earn the 8-year extended 

initial period, 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 and spud date, and requesting 

concurrence that the lessee has earned 

the 8-year extended initial period. The 

BSEE District Manager will review the 

request and make a written 

determination within 30 days of receipt 

of the request. The BSEE District 

Manager must concur in writing that the 

conditions have been met by the lessee 

to earn the 8-year extended initial 

period. 

(3) The standard initial period for a 

lease in water depths ranging from 800 

to less than 1,600 meters issued as a 

result of this sale will be 7 years. The 

lessee will earn an additional 3 years, 

resulting in a 10-year extended initial 

period, if the lessee spuds a well within 

the first 7 years of the lease. 

In order to earn the 10-year extended 

initial period, 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 and spud date, and requesting 

concurrence that the lessee has earned 

the 10-year extended initial period. The 

BSEE District Manager will review the 

request and make a written 

determination within 30 days of receipt 

of the request. The BSEE District 

Manager must concur in writing that the 

conditions have been met by the lessee 

to earn the 10-year extended initial 

period. 

(4) The standard initial period for a 

lease in water depths 1,600 meters or 

greater issued as a result of this sale will 

be 10 years. 

Economic Conditions 

Minimum Bonus Bid Amounts 

• $25.00 per acre or fraction thereof 

for blocks in water depths less than 400 

meters 

• $100.00 per acre or fraction thereof 

for blocks in water depths 400 meters or 

deeper 

BOEM will not accept a bonus bid 

unless it provides for a cash bonus in 

the amount equal to, or exceeding, the 

specified minimum bid of $25.00 per 

acre or fraction thereof for blocks in 

water depths less than 400 meters, and 

$100.00 per acre or fraction thereof for 

blocks in water depths 400 meters or 

deeper. 

Rental Rates 

Annual rental rates are summarized in 

the following table: 

RENTAL RATES PER ACRE OR

FRACTION THEREOF

Water depth 

(meters) 

Years 

1–5 Years 6, 7, and 8+ 

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

and $28.00 

200 to <400 11.00 $22.00, $33.00, 

and $44.00 

400+ ............ 11.00 16.00 

Escalating Rental Rates for Leases With 

an 8-Year Extended Initial Period in 

Water Depths Less Than 400 Meters 

Any lessee with a lease in less than 

400 meters water depth who earns an 8- 

year extended initial period will pay an 

escalating rental rate as shown above. 

The rental rates after the fifth year for 

blocks in less than 400 meters water 

depth will become fixed and no longer 

escalate if another well is spudded 

targeting hydrocarbons below 25,000 

feet TVD SS after the fifth year of the 

lease, and BSEE 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 Rate 

• $7.00 per acre or fraction thereof per 

year for blocks in water depths less 

than 200 meters 

• $11.00 per acre or fraction thereof per 

year for blocks in water depths 200 

meters or deeper 

Royalty Suspension Provisions 

The issuance of leases with royalty 

suspension volumes (RSVs) or other 

forms of royalty relief is authorized 

under existing BOEM regulations at 30 

CFR part 560. The specific details 

relating to eligibility and 

implementation of the various royalty 

relief programs, including those 

involving the use of RSVs, are codified 

in BSEE regulations at 30 CFR part 203. 

In this sale, the only royalty relief 

program being offered, which involves 

the provision of RSVs, relates to the 

drilling of ultra-deep wells in water 

depths of less than 400 meters, as 

described below. 

Royalty Suspension Volumes on Gas 

Production From Ultra-Deep Wells 

A lease issued as a result of this sale 

may be eligible for RSV incentives on 

gas produced from ultra-deep wells 

pursuant to 30 CFR part 203. These 

regulations implement the requirements 

of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Under 

this program, certain wells on leases in 

less than 400 meters of water depth 

completed to a drilling depth of 20,000 

feet TVD SS or deeper may receive an 

RSV of 35 billion cubic feet of natural 

gas. This RSV incentive is subject to 

applicable price thresholds set forth in 

the regulation at 30 CFR part 203. 

IV. Lease Stipulations 

One or more of the following 

stipulations may be applied to leases 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 138 / Friday, July 18, 2014 / Notices 42045 

issued as a result of this sale. The 

detailed text of these stipulations is 

contained in the ‘‘Lease Stipulations’’ 

section of the Final NOS Package. 

(1) Topographic Features 

(2) Military Areas 

(3) Law of the Sea Convention Royalty 

Payment 

(4) Protected Species 

(5) Agreement between the United 

States of America and the United 

Mexican States Concerning 

Transboundary Hydrocarbon 

Reservoirs in the Gulf of Mexico 

V. Information to Lessees 

The Information to Lessees (ITL) 

clauses provide detailed information on 

certain issues pertaining to this oil and 

gas lease sale. The detailed text of these 

ITL clauses is contained in the 

‘‘Information to Lessees’’ section of the 

Final NOS Package: 

(1) Navigation Safety 

(2) Ordnance Disposal Areas in the 

WPA 

(3) Existing and Proposed Artificial 

Reefs/Rigs-to-Reefs 

(4) Lightering Zones 

(5) Indicated Hydrocarbons List 

(6) Military Areas in the WPA 

(7) Safety Zones for Certain Production 

Facilities 

(8) Bureau of Safety and Environmental 

Enforcement (BSEE) Inspection and 

Enforcement of Certain Coast Guard 

Regulations 

(9) Potential Sand Dredging Activities in 

the WPA 

(10) Notice of Arrival on the Outer 

Continental Shelf 

(11) Bidder/Lessee Notice of Obligations 

Related to Criminal/Civil Charges and 

Offenses, Suspension, or Debarment 

VI. Maps 

The maps pertaining to this lease sale 

may be found on the BOEM Web site at 

http://www.boem.gov/Sale-238. The 

following maps also are included in the 

Final NOS Package: 

Lease Terms and Economic Conditions 

Map 

The lease terms and economic 

conditions and the blocks to which 

these terms and conditions apply are 

shown on the map entitled ‘‘Final, 

Western Planning Area, Lease Sale 238, 

August 20, 2014, Lease Terms and 

Economic Conditions,’’ which is 

included in the Final NOS Package. 

Stipulations and Deferred Blocks Map 

The blocks to which one or more lease 

stipulations may apply are shown on 

the map entitled ‘‘Final, Western 

Planning Area, Lease Sale 238, August 

20, 2014, Stipulations and Deferred 

Blocks,’’ which is included in the Final 

NOS Package. 

VII. Bidding Instructions 

Instructions on how to submit a bid, 

secure payment of the advance bonus 

bid deposit (if applicable), and what 

information must be included with the 

bid are as follows: 

Bid Form 

For each block bid upon, a separate 

sealed bid shall be submitted in a sealed 

envelope (as described below) and must 

include the following: 

• Total amount of the bid in whole 

dollars only; 

• Sale number; 

• Sale date; 

• Each bidder’s exact name; 

• Each bidder’s proportionate 

interest, stated as a percentage, using a 

maximum of five decimal places (e.g., 

33.33333 percent); 

• Typed name and title, and signature 

of each bidder’s authorized officer; 

• Each bidder’s qualification number; 

• Map name and number or Official 

Protraction Diagram (OPD) name and 

number; 

• Block number; and 

• Statement acknowledging that the 

bidder(s) understand that this bid 

legally binds the bidder(s) to comply 

with all applicable regulations, 

including payment of one-fifth of the 

bonus bid amount on all apparent high 

bids. 

The information required on the bid(s) 

is specified in the document ‘‘Bid 

Form’’ contained in the Final NOS 

Package. A blank bid form is provided 

therein for convenience and may be 

copied and completed with the 

necessary information described above. 

Bid Envelope 

Each bid must be submitted in a 

separate sealed envelope labeled as 

follows: 

• ‘‘Sealed Bid for Oil and Gas Lease 

Sale 238, not to be opened until 9 a.m. 

Wednesday, August 20, 2014’’; 

• Map name and number or OPD 

name and number; 

• Block number for block bid upon; 

and 

• The exact name and qualification 

number of the submitting bidder only. 

The Final NOS Package includes a 

sample bid envelope for reference. 

Mailed Bids 

If bids are mailed, please address the 

envelope containing the sealed bid 

envelope(s) as follows: Attention: 

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 238 Please Deliver to 

Ms. Cindy Thibodeaux or Ms. Kasey 

Couture, 2nd Floor, Immediately 

Please Note: Bidders mailing bid(s) are 

advised to call Ms. Cindy Thibodeaux at 

(504) 736–2809, or Ms. Kasey Couture at 

(504) 736–2909, immediately after putting 

their bid(s) in the mail. If BOEM receives 

bids later than the Bid Submission Deadline, 

the BOEM Regional Director (RD) will return 

those bids unopened to bidders. Please see 

‘‘Section XI. Delay of Sale’’ regarding 

BOEM’s discretion to extend the Bid 

Submission Deadline in the case of an 

unexpected event (e.g., flooding or travel 

restrictions) and how bidders can obtain 

more information on such extensions. 

Advance Bonus Bid Deposit Guarantee 

Bidders that are not currently an OCS 

oil and gas lease record title holder or 

designated operator, or those that ever 

have defaulted on a one-fifth bonus bid 

deposit, by Electronic Funds Transfer 

(EFT) or otherwise, must guarantee 

(secure) the payment of the one-fifth 

bonus bid deposit prior to bid 

submission using one of the following 

four methods: 

• Provide a third-party guarantee; 

• Amend an areawide development 

bond via bond rider; 

• Provide a letter of credit; or 

• Provide a lump sum payment in 

advance via EFT. 

For more information on EFT 

procedures, see Section X of this 

document entitled ‘‘The Lease Sale.’’ 

Affirmative Action 

Prior to bidding, each bidder should 

file Equal Opportunity Affirmative 

Action Representation Form BOEM– 

2032 (October 2011) and Equal 

Opportunity Compliance Report 

Certification Form BOEM–2033 

(October 2011) with the BOEM Gulf of 

Mexico Region Adjudication Section. 

This certification is required by 41 CFR 

part 60 and Executive Order No. 11246, 

issued September 24, 1965, as amended 

by Executive Order No. 11375, issued 

October 13, 1967. Both forms must be 

on file for the bidder(s) in the GOM 

Region Adjudication Section prior to the 

execution of any lease contract. 

Geophysical Data and Information 

Statement (GDIS) 

The GDIS is composed of three parts: 

(1) The ‘‘Statement’’ page includes the 

company representatives’ information 

and lists of blocks bid on that used 

proprietary data and those blocks bid on 

that did not use proprietary data; 

(2) The ‘‘Table’’ listing the required 

data about each proprietary survey used 

(see below); and 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
42046 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 138 / Friday, July 18, 2014 / Notices 

(3) The ‘‘Maps’’ being the live trace 

maps for each survey that are identified 

in the GDIS statement and table. 

Every bidder submitting a bid on a 

block in WPA Sale 238, or participating 

as a joint bidder in such a bid, must 

submit at the time of bid submission all 

three parts of the GDIS. A bidder must 

submit the GDIS even if a joint bidder 

or bidders on a specific block also have 

submitted a GDIS. Any speculative data 

that has been reprocessed externally or 

‘‘in-house’’ is considered proprietary 

due to the proprietary processing and is 

no longer considered to be speculative. 

The GDIS must be submitted in a 

separate and sealed envelope, and 

identify all proprietary data; 

reprocessed speculative data, and/or 

any Controlled Source Electromagnetic 

surveys, Amplitude Versus Offset, 

Gravity, or Magnetic data; or other 

information used as part of the decision 

to bid or participate in a bid on the 

block. The bidder and joint bidder must 

also include a live trace map (e.g., .pdf 

and ArcGIS shape file) for each survey 

that they identify in the GDIS 

illustrating the actual areal extent of the 

proprietary geophysical data in the 

survey (see the ‘‘Example of Preferred 

Format’’ in the Final NOS Package for 

additional information). 

The GDIS statement must 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 who are 

available for 30 days after the sale date. 

The GDIS statement also must include 

entries for all blocks bid upon that did 

not use proprietary or reprocessed preor post-stack geophysical data and 

information as part of the decision to 

bid or to participate as a joint bidder in 

the bid. The GDIS statement must be 

submitted even if no proprietary 

geophysical data and information were 

used in bid preparation for the block. 

The GDIS table should have columns 

that clearly state the sale number; the 

bidder company’s name; the block area 

and block number bid on; the owner of 

the original data set (i.e., who initially 

acquired the data); the industry’s 

original name of the survey (e.g., E 

Octopus); the BOEM permit number for 

the survey; whether the data set is a fast 

track version; whether the data is 

speculative or proprietary; the data type 

(e.g., 2–D, 3–D, or 4–D; pre-stack or 

post-stack; and time or depth); 

migration algorithm (e.g., Kirchhoff 

Migration, Wave Equation Migration, 

Reverse Migration, Reverse Time 

Migration) of the data; and areal extent 

of bidder survey (i.e., number of line 

miles for 2–D or number of blocks for 

3–D). Provide the computer storage size, 

to the nearest gigabyte, of each seismic 

data and velocity volume used to 

evaluate the lease block in question. 

This will be used in estimating the 

reproduction costs for each data set, if 

applicable. The availability of 

reimbursement of production costs will 

be determined consistent with 30 CFR 

551.13. The next column should state 

who reprocessed the data (e.g., external 

company name or ‘‘in-house’’) and 

when the date of final reprocessing was 

completed (month and year). If the data 

was sent to BOEM for bidding in a 

previous lease sale, list the date the data 

was processed (month and year) and 

indicate if AVO data was used in the 

evaluation. BOEM reserves the right to 

query about alternate data sets, to 

quality check, and to compare the listed 

and alternative data sets to determine 

which data set most closely meets the 

needs of the fair market value 

determination process. An example of 

the preferred format of the table may be 

found in the Final NOS Package, and a 

blank digital version of the preferred 

table may be accessed on the WPA Sale 

238 sale page at http://www.boem.gov/

Sale-238/. 

Pursuant to 30 CFR 551.12 and 30 

CFR 556.32, as a condition of the sale, 

the BOEM Gulf of Mexico RD requests 

that all bidders and joint bidders submit 

the proprietary data identified on their 

GDIS within 30 days after the lease sale 

(unless they are notified after the lease 

sale that BOEM has withdrawn the 

request). This request only pertains to 

proprietary data that is not 

commercially available. Commercially 

available data is not required to be 

submitted to BOEM, and reimbursement 

will not be provided if such data is 

submitted by a bidder. The BOEM Gulf 

of Mexico RD will notify bidders and 

joint bidders of any withdrawal of the 

request, for all or some of the 

proprietary data identified on the GDIS, 

within 15 days of the lease sale. 

Pursuant to 30 CFR part 551 and as a 

condition of this sale, all bidders 

required to submit data must ensure that 

the data is received by BOEM no later 

than the 30th day following the lease 

sale, or the next business day if the 

submission deadline falls on a weekend 

or Federal holiday. The data must be 

submitted to BOEM at the following 

address: Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management, Resource Studies, MS 

881A, 1201 Elmwood Park Blvd., New 

Orleans, LA 70123–2304. 

BOEM recommends that bidders mark 

the submission’s external envelope as 

‘‘Deliver Immediately to DASPU.’’ 

BOEM also recommends that the data be 

submitted in an internal envelope, or 

otherwise marked, with the following 

designation: ‘‘Proprietary Geophysical 

Data Submitted Pursuant to WPA Sale 

238 and used during <Bidder Name’s> 

evaluation of Block <Block Number>.’’ 

In the event a person supplies any 

type of data to BOEM, that person must 

meet the following requirements to 

qualify for reimbursement: 

(1) Persons must be registered with 

the System for Award Management 

(SAM), formerly known as the Central 

Contractor Registration (CCR). CCR 

usernames will not work in SAM. A 

new SAM User Account is needed to 

register or update an entity’s records. 

The Web site for registering is https:// 

www.sam.gov. 

(2) Persons must be enrolled in the 

Department of Treasury’s Invoice 

Processing Platform (IPP) for electronic 

invoicing. The person must enroll in the 

IPP at https://www.ipp.gov/. Access 

then will be granted to use the 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) Persons must have a current Online Representations and Certifications 

Application at https://www.sam.gov. 

Please Note: The GDIS Information Table 

must be submitted digitally, preferably as an 

Excel spreadsheet, on a CD or DVD along 

with the seismic data map(s). If bidders have 

any questions, please contact Ms. Dee Smith 

at (504) 736–2706, or Mr. John Johnson at 

(504) 736–2455. Bidders should refer to 

Section X of this document, ‘‘The Lease Sale: 

Acceptance, Rejection, or Return of Bids,’’ 

regarding a bidder’s failure to comply with 

the requirements of the Final NOS, including 

any failure to submit information as required 

in the Final NOS or Final NOS Package. 

Telephone Numbers/Addresses of 

Bidders 

BOEM requests that bidders provide 

this information in the suggested format 

prior to or at the time of bid submission. 

The suggested format is included in the 

Final NOS Package. The form must not 

be enclosed inside the sealed bid 

envelope. 

Additional Documentation 

BOEM may require bidders to submit 

other documents in accordance with 30 

CFR 556.46. 

VIII. Bidding Rules and Restrictions 

Restricted Joint Bidders 

BOEM published in the Federal 

Register on May 5, 2014, the most 

recent List of Restricted Joint Bidders at 

79 FR 25615. Potential bidders are 

advised to refer to the Federal Register, 

prior to bidding, for the most current 

List of Restricted Joint Bidders in place 

at the time of the lease sale. Please refer 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 138 / Friday, July 18, 2014 / Notices 42047 

to joint bidding provisions at 30 CFR 

556.41 for additional restrictions. 

Authorized Signatures 

All signatories executing documents 

on behalf of bidder(s) must execute the 

same in conformance with the BOEM 

qualification records. 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’’ contained in 

this Final NOS Package). 

Unlawful Combination or Intimidation 

BOEM warns bidders against violation 

of 18 U.S.C. 1860, prohibiting unlawful 

combination or intimidation of bidders. 

Bid Withdrawal 

Bids may be withdrawn only by 

written request delivered to BOEM prior 

to the Bid Submission Deadline. The 

withdrawal request must be on 

company letterhead and must contain 

the bidder’s name, its BOEM 

qualification number, the map name/

number, and the block number(s) of the 

bid(s) to be withdrawn. The request 

must be executed in conformance with 

the BOEM qualification records. 

Signatories must be authorized to bind 

their respective legal business entities 

(e.g., a corporation, partnership, or 

LLC); they also must have an 

incumbency certificate and/or specific 

power of attorney setting forth express 

authority to act on the business entity’s 

behalf for purposes of bidding and lease 

execution under OCSLA. The name and 

title of the signatory must be typed 

under the signature block on the 

withdrawal letter. Upon approval of the 

BOEM Gulf of Mexico RD, or the RD’s 

designee, of such requests, the RD or 

RD’s designee will indicate approval by 

signing and dating the withdrawal 

request. 

Bid Rounding 

The bonus bid amount must be stated 

in whole dollars. Minimum bonus bid 

calculations, including all rounding, for 

all blocks are shown in the document 

entitled ‘‘List of Blocks Available for 

Leasing,’’ which is included in the Final 

NOS Package. If the acreage of a block 

contains a decimal figure, then prior to 

calculating the minimum bonus bid, 

BOEM has rounded up to the next 

whole acre. The appropriate minimum 

rate per acre was then applied to the 

whole (rounded up) acreage. If this 

calculation resulted in a fractional 

dollar amount, the minimum bonus bid 

was rounded up to the next whole 

dollar amount. The bonus bid amount 

must be greater than or equal to the 

minimum bonus bid in whole dollars. 

IX. Forms 

The Final NOS Package includes 

instructions, samples, and/or the 

preferred format for the following items. 

BOEM strongly encourages bidders to 

use these formats; should bidders use 

another format, they are responsible for 

including all the information specified 

for each item in the Final NOS Package. 

(1) Bid Form. 

(2) Sample Completed Bid. 

(3) Sample Bid Envelope. 

(4) Sample Bid Mailing Envelope. 

(5) Telephone Numbers/Addresses of 

Bidders Form. 

(6) GDIS Form. 

(7) GDIS Envelope Form. 

X. The Lease Sale 

Bid Opening and Reading 

Sealed bids received in response to 

the Final NOS will be opened at the 

place, date, and hour specified in the 

DATES section of this document above. 

The opening of the bids is for the sole 

purpose of publicly announcing and 

recording the bids received; no bids will 

be accepted or rejected at that time. 

Bonus Bid Deposit for Apparent High 

Bids 

Each bidder submitting an apparent 

high bid must submit a bonus bid 

deposit to the U.S. Department of the 

Interior’s Office of Natural Resources 

Revenue (ONRR) equal to one-fifth of 

the bonus bid amount for each such bid. 

A copy of the notification of the high 

bidder’s one-fifth bonus liability may be 

obtained at the EFT Area outside the 

Bid Reading Room on the day of the bid 

opening, or it may be obtained on the 

BOEM Web site at http://

www.boem.gov/Sale-238/ under the 

heading ‘‘Notification of EFT 1/5 Bonus 

Liability.’’ All payments must be 

deposited electronically into an interestbearing account in the U.S. Treasury by 

11:00 a.m. Eastern time the day 

following the bid reading (no 

exceptions). Account information is 

provided in the ‘‘Instructions for 

Making Electronic Funds Transfer 

Bonus Payments’’ found on the BOEM 

Web site identified above. 

BOEM requires bidders to use EFT 

procedures for payment of one-fifth 

bonus bid deposits for WPA Sale 238, 

following the detailed instructions 

contained on the ONRR Payment 

Information Web page at http://onrr.gov/ 

ReportPay/payments.htm. Acceptance 

of a deposit does not constitute and 

shall not be construed as acceptance of 

any bid on behalf of the United States. 

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. No bid will be 

accepted, and no lease for any block 

will be awarded to any bidder, unless: 

(1) The bidder has complied with all 

requirements of the Final NOS, 

including those set forth in the 

documents contained in the Final NOS 

Package and applicable regulations; (2) 

the bid is the highest valid bid; and (3) 

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 the Final NOS and 

Final NOS Package, OCSLA, or other 

applicable statute or regulation may be 

rejected and returned to the bidder. The 

U.S. Department of Justice and the 

Federal Trade Commission will review 

the results of the lease sale for antitrust 

issues prior to the acceptance of bids 

and issuance of leases. To ensure that 

the Government receives a fair return for 

the conveyance of leases from this sale, 

high bids will be evaluated in 

accordance with BOEM’s bid adequacy 

procedures. A copy of current 

procedures, ‘‘Modifications to the Bid 

Adequacy Procedures,’’ published at 64 

FR 37560 on July 12, 1999, can be 

obtained from the BOEM Gulf of Mexico 

Region Public Information Office, or via 

the BOEM Gulf of Mexico Region Web 

site at http://www.boem.gov/Oil-andGas-Energy-Program/Leasing/RegionalLeasing/Gulf-of-Mexico-Region/BidAdequacy-Procedures.aspx. 

Lease Award 

BOEM requires each bidder awarded 

a lease to: (1) Execute all copies of the 

lease (Form BOEM–2005 (October 

2011), as amended); (2) 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 

556.47(f); and (3) satisfy the bonding 

requirements of 30 CFR part 556, 

subpart I, as amended. ONRR requests 

that only one transaction be used for 

payment of the four-fifths bonus bid 

amount and the first year’s rental. 

XI. Delay of Sale 

The BOEM Gulf of Mexico RD has the 

discretion to change any date, time, 

and/or location specified in the Final 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
42048 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 138 / Friday, July 18, 2014 / Notices 

NOS Package in case of an event that the 

BOEM Gulf of Mexico RD deems may 

interfere with the carrying out of a fair 

and orderly lease sale process. Such 

events could include, but are not 

limited to, natural disasters (e.g., 

earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods), 

wars, riots, acts of terrorism, fires, 

strikes, civil disorder, or other events of 

a similar nature. In case of such events, 

bidders should call (504) 736–0557, or 

access the BOEM Web site at http://

www.boem.gov, for information 

regarding any changes. 

Dated: July 14, 2014. 

Walter D. Cruickshank, 

Acting Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management. 

[FR Doc. 2014–16962 Filed 7–17–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

Gulf of Mexico, Outer Continental Shelf 

(OCS), Western Planning Area; (WPA) 

Oil and Gas Lease Sale 238; MMAA 

104000 

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management (BOEM), Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) of 

a Record of Decision (ROD) for WPA 

Lease Sale 238, most recently analyzed 

in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas 

Lease Sales: 2014–2016; Western 

Planning Area Lease Sales 238, 246, and 

248; Final Supplemental Environmental 

Impact Statement (WPA 238, 246, and 

248 Supplemental EIS). 

SUMMARY: BOEM prepared a ROD for 

proposed oil and gas WPA Lease Sale 

238, scheduled for August 20, 2014. The 

Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals 

Management (ASLM) has signed that 

ROD. The proposed lease sale is in the 

Gulf of Mexico’s WPA off the States of 

Texas and Louisiana. Proposed WPA 

Lease Sale 238 is the third WPA lease 

sale scheduled in the OCS Oil & Gas 

Leasing Program for 2012–2017 (FiveYear Program). In preparing the ROD, 

BOEM considered alternatives to the 

proposed action, the potential impacts 

as presented in the WPA 238, 246, and 

248 Supplemental EIS, and all 

comments received throughout the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) process. The WPA 238, 246, and 

248 Supplemental EIS evaluated the 

environmental and socioeconomic 

impacts for proposed WPA Lease Sale 

238. The WPA 238, 246, and 248 

Supplemental EIS tiers from and 

incorporates by reference, the Gulf of 

Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 

2013–2014 Western Planning Area Lease 

Sale 233/Central Planning Area Lease 

Sale 231—Final Supplemental 

Environmental Impact Statement and 

the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil and Gas 

Lease Sales: 2012–2017; Western 

Planning Area Lease Sales 229, 233, 

238, 246, and 248; Central Planning 

Area Lease Sales 227, 231, 235, 241, and 

247—Final Environmental Impact 

Statement. One comment letter was 

received after publication of the Final 

WPA 238, 246, and 248 Supplemental 

EIS from the United States 

Environmental Protection Agency 

(USEPA), which did not raise any new 

or significant issues not already 

discussed. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the 

WPA 238, 246, and 248 Supplemental 

EIS, BOEM evaluated the alternatives 

that are summarized below: 

Alternative A—The Proposed Action: 

This was BOEM’s preferred alternative. 

This alternative would offer for lease all 

unleased blocks within the proposed 

WPA lease sale area for oil and gas 

operations with the following exception: 

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 238, 246, and 248 Supplemental 

EIS). 

The unleased whole and partial 

blocks in the WPA that the Department 

of the Interior (DOI) will offer for leasing 

in proposed WPA Lease Sale 238 are 

listed in the document entitled ‘‘List of 

Blocks Available for Leasing,’’ which is 

included in the Final Notice of Sale 

Package for WPA Lease Sale 238. The 

proposed WPA lease sale area 

encompasses virtually all of the WPA’s 

28.58 million acres. As of June 2014, 

approximately 21.5 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 the proposed 

WPA lease sale is 0.116–0.200 billion 

barrels of oil and 0.538–0.938 trillion 

cubic feet of gas. 

Alternative B—The Proposed Action 

Excluding the Unleased Blocks Near the 

Biologically Sensitive Topographic 

Features: This alternative would offer 

for lease all unleased blocks within the 

proposed WPA lease sale area, as 

described for a 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 is 

0.116–0.200 BBO and 0.538–0.938 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 

assumed that the levels of activity for 

Alternative B would be essentially the 

same as those projected for the WPA 

proposed action. 

Alternative C—No Action: This 

alternative is the cancellation of 

proposed WPA Lease Sale 238 and is 

identified as the environmentally 

preferred alternative. 

After careful consideration, the ASLM 

selected the proposed action, identified 

as BOEM’s preferred alternative 

(Alternative A) in the WPA 238, 246, 

and 248 Supplemental EIS. The ASLM’s 

selection of the preferred alternative 

meets the purpose and need for the 

proposed action, as identified in the 

WPA 238, 246, and 248 Supplemental 

EIS, and provides for an 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 copy of the 

ROD for proposed WPA Lease Sale 238, 

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 

1506) implementing the provisions of the 

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 

1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 

Dated: July 14, 2014. 

Walter D. Cruickshank, 

Acting Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management. 

[FR Doc. 2014–16958 Filed 7–17–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES