[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 215 (Monday, November 7, 2011)] [Notices] [Pages 68777-68778] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2011-28739] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R7-FHC-2011-N188; FF07CAMM00-FXFR13370700000L5-123] Letters of Authorization To Take Marine Mammals AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior. ACTION: Notice of issuance. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA), we, the Fish and Wildlife Service, have issued letters of authorization for the nonlethal take of polar bears and Pacific walrus incidental to oil and gas industry exploration, development, and production activities in the Beaufort Sea and the adjacent northern coast of Alaska and incidental to oil and gas industry exploration activities in the Chukchi Sea and the adjacent western coast of Alaska. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig Perham at the Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management Office, 1011 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503; (800) 362-5148 or (907) 786-3810. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 2, 2006, we published in the Federal Register a final rule (71 FR 43926) establishing regulations that allow us to authorize the nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of polar bears and Pacific walrus 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 was effective until August 2, 2011. New regulations were issued on August 3, 2011 (76 FR 47010), effective through August 3, 2016. The rule prescribed a process under which we issue Letters of Authorization (LOAs) to applicants conducting activities as described under the provisions of the regulations. In accordance with section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) and our regulations at 50 CFR 18, subpart J, we issued an LOA to each of the following companies in the Beaufort Sea and adjacent northern coast of Alaska: Beaufort Sea Letters of Authorization ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Company Activity Project Date issued ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BP Exploration Alaska, Inc....... Development........ Liberty Development January 20, 2011. Project. BP Exploration Alaska, Inc....... Development........ Red Dog1 Plug January 20, 2011. and Abandonment Project. Brooks Range Petroleum Exploration........ North Tarn Exploration January 1, 2011. Corporation. Program. Brooks Range Petroleum Exploration........ North Tarn Summer Clean July 22, 2011. Corporation. Up and Field Studies. ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc....... Exploration........ Hydrate Production Test, January 3, 2011. Ignik Sikumi I, Prudhoe Bay Unit. ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc....... Exploration........ West Kuparuk 3D Seismic January 3, 2011. Exploration Program. ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc....... Development........ Puviaq 1 Plug January 10, 2011. and Abandonment Program. Eni US Operating Co., Inc........ Development........ Nikaitchuq Development May 15, 2011. Program. ExxonMobil Production Company.... Development........ Point Thomson........... February 1, 2011. ExxonMobil Production Company.... Exploration........ Seafloor Sediment July 11, 2011. Sampling Program. FEX L.P.......................... Development........ Plug and Abandonment January 10, 2011. Project, Aklaqyaaq 1, Aklaq 2, and Aklaq 6 Wells. Marsh Creek, LLC................. Development........ Corrective Action February 11, 2011. Activities, Umiat Test Well No. 9. North Slope Borough.............. Development........ Gas Fields Well Drilling April 15, 2011. Program. Olgoonik Fairweather, LLC........ Exploration........ Beaufort Sea Acoustic July 15, 2011. Monitoring Recorder Deployment and Retrieval Project. Olgoonik Fairweather, LLC........ Exploration........ Central Beaufort Sea July 15, 2011. Fisheries Cruise Environmental Studies Program. Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska, Development........ Nuna Pre-Development April 15, 2011. Inc. Project. Savant Alaska, LLC............... Development........ Badami Unit February 7, 2011. Redevelopment Project. Shell Offshore, Inc.............. Development........ Beaufort Sea Ice January 10, 2011. Observation and On-Ice Argos Data Buoy Deployment Program. Shell Offshore, Inc.............. Exploration........ Beaufort Sea Open Water June 10, 2011. Marine Survey Program and Onshore Environmental Baseline Study Activities. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [[Page 68778]] On June 11, 2008, we published in the Federal Register a final rule (73 FR 33212) establishing regulations that allow us to authorize the nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of polar bears and Pacific walrus during year-round oil and gas industry exploration activities in the Chukchi Sea and adjacent western coast of Alaska. The rule established subpart I of 50 CFR part 18 and is effective until June 11, 2013. The rule prescribed a process under which we issue LOAs to applicants conducting activities as described under the provisions of the regulations. In accordance with section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA and our regulations at 50 CFR 18, subpart I, we issued an LOA to the following companies in the Chukchi Sea: Chukchi Sea Letters of Authorization ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Company Activity Project Date issued ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shell Offshore, Inc.............. Exploration........ Chukchi Sea Ice January 10, 2011. Observation Flights Program. Shell Offshore, Inc.............. Exploration........ Chukchi Sea Coastal May 15, 2011. Marine and Onshore Environmental Baseline Study. Shell Offshore, Inc.............. Exploration........ Chukchi Sea Baseline July 29, 2011. Environmental Studies Program. Statoil USA E&P, Inc............. Exploration........ Chukchi Sea Shallow June 20, 2011. Hazards Survey Project. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dated: October 5, 2011. E. LaVerne Smith, Acting Regional Director, Alaska Region. [FR Doc. 2011-28739 Filed 11-4-11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-55-P