8530 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 33 / Friday, February 19, 2016 / Notices 

regarding any changes. 

Dated: February 10, 2016. 

Abigail Ross Hopper, 

Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management. 

[FR Doc. 2016–03279 Filed 2–18–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

[MMAA104000] 

Central Gulf of Mexico Planning Area 

Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas 

Lease Sale 241 

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management (BOEM), Interior. 

ACTION: Final notice of sale. 

SUMMARY: On Wednesday, March 23, 

2016, BOEM will open and publicly 

announce bids received for blocks 

offered in the Central Planning Area 

(CPA) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil 

and Gas Lease Sale 241 (CPA Sale 241), 

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 CPA Sale 241 Final Notice of Sale 

(NOS) Package (Final NOS Package) 

contains information essential to 

potential bidders. Bidders are charged 

with knowing the contents of the 

documents contained in the Final NOS 

Package. 

DATES:

Dates and Time: Public Bid reading 

for CPA 241 will begin at 9:00 a.m. on 

Wednesday, March 23, 2016. All times 

referred to in this document are Central 

Time, 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, March 22, 2016, the day 

before the lease sale. For more 

information on bid submission, see 

Section VII, ‘‘Bidding Instructions,’’ of 

this document. 

ADDRESSES: 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 

through Gate A on the Ground Level; 

parking will be available at Garage 6. 

Interested parties, upon request, may 

obtain a compact disc (CD–ROM) 

containing the Final NOS Package by 

contacting the BOEM Gulf of Mexico 

(GOM) Region 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-241/. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents 

This Final NOS includes the 

following sections: 

I. Lease Sale Area 

II. Statutes and Regulations 

III. Lease Terms and Financial 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: BOEM 

proposes to offer for bid in this lease 

sale all of the available unleased acreage 

in the CPA, except those blocks listed in 

‘‘Blocks Not Offered for Leasing’’ below. 

Blocks Not Offered for Leasing: The 

following whole and partial blocks are 

not offered for lease in this sale: 

Whole and partial blocks deferred by 

the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act 

of 2006, Public Law 109–432: 

Pensacola (OPD NH 16–05) 

Whole Blocks: 751 through 754, 793 

through 798, 837 through 842, 881 

through 886, 925 through 930, and 969 

through 975 

Destin Dome (OPD NH 16–08) 

Whole Blocks: 1 through 7, 45 through 51, 

89 through 96, 133 through 140, 177 

through 184, 221 through 228, 265 

through 273, 309 through 317, 353 

through 361, 397 through 405, 441 

through 450, 485 through 494, 529 

through 538, 573 through 582, 617 

through 627, 661 through 671, 705 

through 715, 749 through 759, 793 

through 804, 837 through 848, 881 

through 892, 925 through 936, and 969 

through 981 

DeSoto Canyon (OPD NH 16–11) 

Whole Blocks: 1 through 15, 45 through 59, 

and 92 through 102 

Partial Blocks: 16, 60, 61, 89 through 91, 

103 through 105, and 135 through 147 

Henderson (OPD NG 16–05) 

Partial Blocks: 114, 158, 202, 246, 290, 334, 

335, 378, 379, 422, and 423 

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: 

Lund South (OPD NG 16–07) 

Whole Blocks: 128, 129, 169 through 173, 

208 through 217, 248 through 261, 293 

through 305, and 349 

Henderson (OPD NG 16–05) 

Whole Blocks: 466, 508 through 510, 551 

through 554, 594 through 599, 637 

through 643, 679 through 687, 722 

through 731, 764 through 775, 807 

through 819, 849 through 862, 891 

through 905, 933 through 949, and 975 

through 992 

Partial Blocks: 467, 511, 555, 556, 600, 644, 

688, 732, 776, 777, 820, 821, 863, 864, 

906, 907, 950, 993, and 994 

Florida Plain (OPD NG 16–08) 

Whole Blocks: 5 through 24, 46 through 67, 

89 through 110, 133 through 154, 177 

through 197, 221 through 240, 265 

through 283, 309 through 327, and 363 

through 370 

The following blocks whose lease statuses 

are currently under appeal: 

West Cameron (Leasing Map LA1) Block 171 

East Cameron (Leasing Map LA2) Block 71 

and Block 72 

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 is also 

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 Financial 

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: 


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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. 

(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. 

Financial 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, & 8+ 

0 to <200 ...... $7.00 $14.00, $21.00, & $28.00. 

200 to <400 .. 11.00 $22.00, $33.00, & $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 


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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 CPA Sale 241, 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. 

Leases 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 water depth and 

completed to a drilling depth of 20,000 

feet TVD SS or deeper may receive an 

RSV of 35 billion cubic feet on the 

production of natural gas. This RSV 

incentive is subject to applicable price 

thresholds set forth in the regulations at 

30 CFR part 203. 

IV. Lease Stipulations 

One or more of the following 

stipulations may be applied to leases 

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) Live Bottom 

(3) Military Areas 

(4) Evacuation 

(5) Coordination 

(6) Blocks South of Baldwin County, 

Alabama 

(7) Law of the Sea Convention Royalty 

Payment 

(8) Protected Species 

(9) Below Seabed Operations 

(10) 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 CPA 

(3) Communications Towers 

(4) Existing and Proposed Artificial 

Reefs/Rigs to Reefs 

(5) Lightering Zones 

(6) Indicated Hydrocarbons List 

(7) Military Areas in the CPA 

(8) Bureau of Safety and Environmental 

Enforcement (BSEE) Inspection and 

Enforcement of Certain Coast Guard 

Regulations 

(9) Deepwater Port Applications for 

Offshore Liquefied Natural Gas 

Facilities 

(10) Ocean Dredged Material Disposal 

Sites 

(11) Potential Sand Dredging Activities 

in the CPA 

(12) Below Seabed Operations 

(13) Industrial Waste Disposal Areas 

(14) Air Quality Permits 

(15) Notice of Arrival on the Outer 

Continental Shelf 

(16) Gulf Islands National Seashore 

(17) Bidder/Lessee Notice of Obligations 

Related to Criminal/Civil Charges 

and Offenses, Suspension, or 

Debarment; Disqualification Due to 

a Conviction under the Clean Air 

Act or the Clean Water Act 

(18) Protected Species 

(19) Flower Garden Banks Expansion 

VI. Maps 

The maps pertaining to this lease sale 

may be found on the BOEM Web site at 

http://www.boem.gov/Sale-241/. The 

following maps also are included in the 

Final NOS Package: 

Lease Terms and Financial Conditions 

Map 

The lease terms and financial 

conditions and the blocks to which 

these terms and conditions apply are 

shown on the map entitled, ‘‘Final, 

Central Planning Area, Lease Sale 241, 

March 23, 2016, Lease Terms and 

Financial 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, Central 

Planning Area, Lease Sale 241, March 

23, 2016, Stipulations and Deferred 

Blocks Map,’’ 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 must 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’’ in this Final NOS Package. A 

blank bid form is provided herein 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 241, not to be opened until 9 a.m. 

Wednesday, March 23, 2016;’’ 

• 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 CPA Oil and 

Gas Lease Sale 241, Please Deliver to 

Ms. Cindy Thibodeaux or Mr. Carrol 

Williams, 2nd Floor, Immediately. 

Please Note 

Bidders mailing bid(s) are advised to 

call Ms. Cindy Thibodeaux at (504) 736– 

2809, or Mr. Carrol Williams at (504) 

736–2803, immediately after putting 

their bid(s) in the mail. If BOEM 

receives bids later than the Bid 

Submission Deadline, the BOEM Gulf of 

Mexico Regional Director (RD) will 

return those bids unopened to bidders. 

Please see ‘‘Section XI. Delay of Sale’’ 


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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 have 

ever 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, and by Executive 

Order 13672, issued July 21, 2014. 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 

(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 CPA Sale 241, 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 must 

identify all proprietary data; 

reprocessed speculative data, and/or 

any Controlled Source Electromagnetic 

surveys, Amplitude Versus Offset 

(AVO), 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 

proprietary 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 

shape file must not include cultural 

information; only the live trace map of 

the survey itself. 

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 CPA Sale 

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

Sale-241/. 

The GDIS maps are live trace maps (in 

.pdf and ArcGIS shape files) that should 

be submitted for each proprietary survey 

that is identified in the GDIS table. They 

should illustrate 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). As 

previously stated, the shape file must 

not include cultural information; only 

the live trace map of the survey itself. 

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, GM 

881A, 1201 Elmwood Park Blvd., New 

Orleans, LA 70123–2304. 


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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 CPA 241 

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 Internet 

Payment 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 

On November 2, 2015, BOEM 

published the most recent List of 

Restricted Joint Bidders in the Federal 

Register at 80 FR 67416. 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 to the 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 

the 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 withdrawal 

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) and 

documentation must be on file with 

BOEM setting forth this authority to act 

on the business entity’s behalf for 

purposes of bidding and lease execution 

under OCSLA (e.g., business charter or 

articles, incumbency certificate, or 

power of attorney). The name and title 

of the authorized signatory must be 

typed under the signature block on the 

withdrawal request. The BOEM Gulf of 

Mexico RD, or the RD’s designee, will 

indicate their approval by signing and 

dating the withdrawal request. 

Bid Rounding 

Minimum bonus bid calculations, 

including rounding, for all blocks will 

be shown in the document ‘‘List of 

Blocks Available for Leasing’’ included 

in the Final NOS Package. The bonus 

bid amount must be stated in whole 

dollars. If the acreage of a block contains 

a decimal figure, then prior to 

calculating the minimum bonus bid, 

BOEM rounded up to the next whole 

acre. The appropriate minimum rate per 

acre was then be 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 

‘‘DATE AND TIME’’ and ‘‘LOCATION’’ 

sections of this document. 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 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 bid 

requirement deposit 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-241/ 

under the heading ‘‘Notification of EFT 

1/5 Bonus Liability.’’ All payments must 

be deposited electronically into an 

interest-bearing account in the U.S. 

Treasury by 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time the 

day following the bid reading (no 

exceptions). Account information is 


asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 33 / Friday, February 19, 2016 / Notices 8535 

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 CPA Sale 241, 

following the detailed instructions 

contained on the ONRR Payment 

Information Web page at http://

www.onrr.gov/FM/PayInfo.htm. 

Acceptance of a deposit does not 

constitute and will 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 and 

applicable regulations; 

(2) the bid submitted 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. 

Bid Adequacy Review Procedures for 

CPA Sale 241 

To ensure that the U.S. 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 the updated Bid Adequacy 

Procedures 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-and-GasEnergy-Program/Leasing/RegionalLeasing/Gulf-of-Mexico-Region/BidAdequacy-Procedures.aspx. 

BOEM published a notification in the 

Federal Register, 79 FR 62461–62463 

(October 17, 2014), available at http://

www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-10-17/

pdf/2014-24727.pdf, proposing the 

elimination of one of its acceptance 

rules, the Number of Bids Rule, from its 

bid adequacy procedures. BOEM 

carefully considered the comments 

submitted in response to the notice and 

met with industry representatives. 

BOEM believes that none of the 

submitted comments offered a 

compelling reason to retain the Number 

of Bids Rule, suggested a preferable 

alternative which BOEM had not 

considered, or indicated that our 

analysis or rationale was deficient. 

Therefore, BOEM removed the Number 

of Bids rule from its procedures. This 

bid adequacy change is in effect and 

will be applied to any bids received for 

the CPA Sale 241. 

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 

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: February 10, 2016. 

Abigail Ross Hopper, 

Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management. 

[FR Doc. 2016–03278 Filed 2–18–16; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

[Docket No. BOEM–2015–0118; 

MMAA104000] 

Gulf of Mexico, Outer Continental Shelf 

(OCS), Eastern Planning Area (EPA) Oil 

and Gas Lease Sale 226 

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management (BOEM), Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability of a 

Record of Decision. 

SUMMARY: BOEM is announcing the 

availability of a Record of Decision for 

proposed oil and gas EPA Lease Sale 

226. This Record of Decision identifies 

the Bureau’s selected alternative for 

proposed EPA Lease Sale 226, which is 

analyzed in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Oil 

and Gas Lease Sales: 2016 and 2017; 

Central Planning Area Lease Sales 241 

and 247; Eastern Planning Area Lease 

Sale 226; Final Supplemental 

Environmental Impact Statement (CPA 

241/EPA 226 Supplemental EIS). The 

Record of Decision and associated 

information are available on the agency 

Web site at http://www.boem.gov/

nepaprocess/. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

more information on the Record of 

Decision, 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. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the 

CPA 241/EPA 226 Supplemental EIS, 

BOEM evaluated the two alternatives 

that are summarized below with regard 

to proposed EPA Lease Sale 226: 

Alternative A—The Proposed Action: 

This is BOEM’s preferred alternative. 

This alternative would offer for lease all 

unleased blocks within the proposed 

EPA lease sale area for oil and gas 

operations. 

All unleased blocks in the EPA that 

BOEM will offer for leasing in proposed 

EPA Lease Sale 226 are listed in the 

document ‘‘List of Blocks Available for 

Leasing,’’ which is included in the Final 

Notice of Sale for EPA Lease Sale 226. 

The proposed EPA lease sale area covers 

approximately 657,905 acres (ac) and 

includes those blocks previously 

included in EPA Lease Sale 225. The 

area is south of eastern Alabama and 

western Florida; the nearest point of 

land is 125 miles (201 kilometers) 

northwest in Louisiana. As of October 

2015, approximately 595,475 ac of the 

proposed EPA lease sale area are 

available for lease. The estimated 


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