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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE
GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION
| NTL No.
98-13 |
Effective Date: August 10,
1998 |
NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS
OF FEDERAL OIL, GAS, AND SULPHUR
LEASES IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF, GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION
Minimizing Oil and Gas
Structures in the Gulf of Mexico
This Notice To Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 85-08 and
updates the cited regulatory authorities and includes a statement regarding the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Introduction
This NTL is provided pursuant to the authority prescribed in 30 CFR 250.104.
In accordance with the provisions of 30 CFR 250.105(a), 250.202, 250.1009(c)(9),
256.76, and the section of the lease agreement pertaining to removal of property
on termination of the lease, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) has
established a program that ensures that exploratory, development, and production
operations are conducted in a manner that promotes the multiple use concept of
the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of this NTL
is to consolidate, clarify, and formalize existing requirements contained in the
Regulations. This NTL does not impose additional requirements.
Policy
Structures for drilling, development, and production, including pipelines,
will be kept to the minimum necessary for proper exploration, development, and
production and, to the greatest extent consistent therewith, will be placed so
as to cause minimum interference with other significant uses of the OCS.
Accordingly, no exploration or development plan filed pursuant to 30 CFR 250.203
and 250.204 will be approved until the MMS has determined that the structures
proposed in the plan are necessary for the proper exploration, development, and
production of the leased area and that no other reasonable alternative placement
or grouping of these structures would cause less interference with other
significant uses of the OCS.
Permanent Abandonment of Wells
Please refer to 30 CFR 250.702.
Temporary Abandonment of Wells
Please refer to 30 CFR 250.703 and NTL No. 90-09.
Platform Abandonment
Please refer to 30 CFR 250.913.
Pipeline Abandonment
Please refer to 30 CFR 250.1006. The lease operator or right-of-way holder
will be responsible for the removal of a pipeline abandoned in place if it is
subsequently determined that the pipeline constitutes an unreasonable hazard to
navigation, fishing, or the marine environment.
Removal of Property on Termination of Lease
Within a period of 1 year after termination of a lease, all temporarily
abandoned wells, platforms, pipelines, or any other devices will be abandoned in
accordance with the aforementioned requirements. However, in accordance with 30
CFR 250.107 and after proper approval, the operator may maintain these
structures in order to conduct operations on other leases. Furthermore, MMS may
consider a waiver of this requirement on a case-by-case basis, in accordance
with 30 CFR 250.103(b), when such structures may be valuable as an artificial
reef for the protection of fish and other aquatic life and for the conservation
of natural resources.
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement
The collections of information referred to in this NTL are contained in 30
CFR Part 250, Subparts A, B, G, I, and J and 30 CFR Part 256. The Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the information collection requirements
in these Regulations. The applicable OMB Control Numbers are: 1010-0030 for
Subpart A; 1010-0049 for Subpart B; 1010-0079 for Subpart G; 1010-0058 for
Subpart I; 1010-0050 for Subpart J; and 1010-0006 for Part 256. This NTL does
not impose additional information collection requirements subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Chris C. Oynes
Regional Director
