[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 166 (Tuesday, August 31, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48751-48753]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18770]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-R7-ES-2021-0002; FF07CAMM00-FX-ES111607MRG01]
Marine Mammals; Letters of Authorization To Take Pacific Walrus
and Polar Bears in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska, in 2019 and 2020 and
Northern Sea Otters in Cook Inlet, Alaska in 2019 and 2020
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of issuance.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972,
as amended, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued Letters of
Authorization for the nonlethal take of polar bears and Pacific
walruses incidental to oil and gas industry exploration, development,
and production activities in the Beaufort Sea and the adjacent northern
coast of Alaska as well as northern sea otters in Cook Inlet, Alaska,
in 2019 and 2020. This notice announces a list of the Letters of
Authorizations that were issued in calendar years 2019 and 2020. The
Letters of Authorization stipulate conditions and methods that minimize
impacts to polar bears, Pacific walruses, and northern sea otters from
these activities.
ADDRESSES: Document availability: You may view this notice as well as
the Letters of Authorization at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket
No. FWS-R7-ES-2021-0002, or these documents may be requested as
described under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles Hamilton, Marine Mammal
Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS 341, 1011 East Tudor
Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99503, by email at R7mmmRegulatory@fws.gov or
by telephone at 1-800-362-5148. Persons who use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at
1-800-877-8339, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 5, 2016, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service published in the Federal Register a final rule (81 FR
52276) establishing regulations that allow us to authorize the
nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of polar
bears (Ursus maritimus) and Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus
divergens) during year-round oil and gas industry exploration,
development, and production activities in the Beaufort Sea and adjacent
northern coast of Alaska. The rule established subpart J in part 18 of
title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and is effective
through August 5, 2021. The rule prescribed a process under which we
issue Letters of Authorization (LOA) to applicants conducting
activities as described under the provisions of the regulations.
Each LOA stipulates conditions or methods that are specific to the
activity and location. Holders of the LOAs must use methods and conduct
activities in a manner that minimizes to the greatest extent
practicable adverse impacts on Pacific walruses and polar bears and
their habitat, and on the availability of these marine mammals for
subsistence purposes. Intentional take and lethal incidental take are
prohibited under these regulations.
In accordance with section 101(a)(5)(A) of the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and our regulations at 50
CFR part 18, subpart J, in 2019 and 2020 we issued LOAs to each of the
companies in the Beaufort Sea and adjacent northern coast of Alaska
shown below in table 1.
[[Page 48752]]
Table 1--Beaufort Sea Letters of Authorization
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Year Company Activity Project LOA #
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2019........................... Caelus Natural Close-out and Transferring ownership 16-11 [amended].
Resources amendment. of Oooguruk to Eni
Alaska, LLC. U.S. Operation
Company, Inc., and
Nuna to
ConocoPhillips
Alaska, Inc.
2019........................... ConocoPhillips Acquisition...... ConocoPhillips Alaska, 16-13 [amended].
Alaska, Inc. Inc., acquired Nuna
from Caelus.
2019........................... ConocoPhillips Exploration and Geotechnical surveys 18-14 [amended].
Alaska, Inc. development. and installation at
the proposed Willow
airstrip; in support
of development in the
Bear Tooth Unit.
2019........................... Oil Search Alaska Exploration and Pikka field 19-01 [amended].
support services. exploratory drilling,
environmental
surveys, and
transportation
activities.
2019........................... Peak Oilfield Support services. Transportation 19-02.
Service Company, activities on the
LLC. North Slope.
2019........................... SAExploration.... Exploration...... Seismic activities in 19-03.
the Prudhoe Bay Unit.
2019........................... TGS-NOPEC Exploration...... 3D seismic activities 19-04.
Geophysical in the Beaufort Sea;
Company. north of the Colville
River Delta.
2019........................... BEM Systems, Remediation...... Former United States 19-05.
Incorporated. Air Force Bullen
Point Short Range
Radar Station.
2019........................... BP Exploration Demobilization... Liberty oil rig 19-06.
(Alaska), Inc. demobilization and
removal.
2019........................... Chevron Support services. Debris removal at the 19-07.
Environmental former Kalubik Creek
Management No. 1 wellsite on the
Company. North Slope.
2019........................... Eni U.S. Exploration, Nakaitchuq and 19-08.
Operation development, and Oooguruk oilfields.
Company, Inc. production.
2019........................... Peak Oilfield Support services. Transportation 19-09.
Service Company, activities on the
LLC. North Slope.
2019........................... SAExploration.... Support services. Summer cleanup and 19-10.
flyovers on the North
Slope.
2019........................... PRA Production and Monitoring the Hydrate 19-11a.
Petrotechnical research. 01 well in Kuparuk.
Resources of
Alaska.
2019........................... Brooks Range Development...... Mustang on the North 19-11b.
Petroleum Slope of Alaska.
Corporation.
2019........................... Hilcorp Alaska, Support services. Arctic cod monitoring 19-12.
LLC. associated with the
Liberty Project.
2019........................... ConocoPhillips Development...... Greater Mooses Tooth 19-14.
Alaska, Inc. Two (MT7; GMT2).
2019........................... SAExploration.... Exploration and Seismic surveys and 19-15.
support services. cleanup activities on
the North Slope.
2019........................... ConocoPhillips Exploration...... Appraisal well 19-16.
Alaska, Inc. drilling at Willow.
2019........................... SAExploration.... Exploration and Winter seismic and 19-17.
support services. cleanup activities
associated with
Willow, Narwhal, and
Kuukpik.
2019........................... ConocoPhillips Exploration, Geotechnical surveys; 19-18.
Alaska, Inc. development, and installation of
support services. equipment and gravel/
ice road development;
sampling at Willow.
2019........................... ConocoPhillips Exploration and Fiord West Kuparuk 19-19.
Alaska, Inc. development. Pilot Program.
2020........................... Hilcorp Alaska, Acquisition...... Hilcorp Alaska, LLC, 16-14 [amended].
LLC. acquired all of BP
Exploration (Alaska),
Inc.'s interests and
assets.
2020........................... Olgoonik Production....... Plug and abandonment, 20-01.
Construction surface remediation
Services. with the Simpson
Wells Remediation
Project.
2020........................... Alyeska Pipeline Production....... Operation and 20-02.
Service Company. maintenance of the
Trans-Alaska Pipeline
System.
2020........................... Oil Search Alaska Exploration, Geotechnical boring, 20-03
development, surveys, cleanup, [corrected].
support services. installation of
facilities and
pipelines, and gravel
farming at the Pikka
Development.
2020........................... ConocoPhillips Development...... Greater Mooses Tooth 20-04.
Alaska, Inc. Two (MT7; GMT2).
2020........................... Peak Oilfield Support services. Transportation 20-05
Service Company, activities on the [corrected].
LLC. North Slope.
2020........................... Jade Energy, LLC. Development and Maritime barging and 20-06 [corrected]
support services. tundra ice road
construction in the
Point Thomson Unit.
2020........................... Olgoonik Remediation...... Permanent plugging, 20-07.
Construction abandonment, and
Services. surface remediation
for the Fish Creek
and Inigok Legacy
Wells Remediation
Project.
2020........................... ConocoPhillips Development, Construction of an ice 20-09.
P&A Program. support services. road, transportation,
and cleanup
activities in the
National Petroleum
Reserve--Alaska.
2020........................... Emerald House, Support services. Transportation 20-10.
LLC. activities to the
Peregrine Lease Block
within the National
Petroleum Reserve--
Alaska.
2020........................... ConocoPhillips Development...... Construction for 20-11.
Willow. Willow.
[[Page 48753]]
2020........................... Northern Energy Acquisition, Northern Energy 20-14.
Services. close out, and Services acquired
support services. Peak Oilfield Service
Company, LLC;
transportation
activities on the
North Slope.
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On August 1, 2019, the Service published in the Federal Register a
final rule (84 FR 37716) establishing regulations that allow us to
authorize the nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take of small
numbers of northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) during year-
round oil and gas industry exploration, development, production, and
transportation activities in the Cook Inlet of Alaska. The rule
established subpart K in part 18 of title 50 of the CFR and is
effective through August 1, 2024. The rule prescribed a process under
which we issue LOAs to applicants conducting activities as described
under the provisions of the regulations.
Each LOA stipulates conditions or methods that are specific to the
activity and location. Holders of the LOAs must use methods and conduct
activities in a manner that minimizes to the greatest extent
practicable adverse impacts on northern sea otters and their habitat,
and on the availability of northern sea otters for subsistence
purposes. Intentional take and lethal incidental take are prohibited
under these regulations.
In accordance with section 101(a)(5)(A) of the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and our regulations at 50
CFR part 18, subpart K, in 2019 and 2020 we issued LOAs to each of the
following companies in the Cook Inlet of Alaska shown below in table 2.
Table 2--Cook Inlet Letters of Authorization
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Year Company Activity Project LOA #
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2019........................... Hilcorp Alaska, Exploration....... 3D seismic surveys in 19-CI-01
LLC. the Cook Inlet.
2019........................... Hilcorp Alaska, Production........ Routine maintenance 19-CI-02
LLC. activities on
platforms and
pipelines in the Cook
Inlet.
2020........................... Hilcorp Alaska, Exploration....... Geotechnical surveys in 20-CI-01
LLC. the Lower Cook Inlet.
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Authority: We issue this notice under the authority of the MMPA (16
U.S.C. 1361 et seq.).
Karen Cogswell,
Acting Regional Director, Alaska Region.
[FR Doc. 2021-18770 Filed 8-30-21; 8:45 am]
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