[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 61 (Friday, March 29, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19288-19290]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-07339]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R7-FHC-2013-N047; FF07CAMM00.FX.FR133707PB000]
Letters of Authorization To Take Marine Mammals
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 (MMPA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, or we),
has 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. These letters of authorization stipulate
conditions and methods that minimize impacts to polar bears and Pacific
walrus from these activities.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig Perham at the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management Office, 1011 East Tudor
Road, MS 341, Anchorage, AK 99503; (800) 362-5148 or (907) 786-3810.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 3, 2011, we published in the
Federal Register a final rule (76 FR 47010) 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 is 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.
Each LOA stipulates conditions or methods that are specific to the
activity and location. Holders of LOAs must use methods and conduct
activities in a manner that minimizes to the greatest extent
practicable adverse impacts on Pacific walrus and polar bears, their
habitat, and on the availability of these marine mammals for
subsistence purposes. Intentional take and lethal incidental take is
prohibited.
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 LOAs to
each of the following companies in the Beaufort Sea and adjacent
northern coast of Alaska:
Beaufort Sea Letters of Authorization
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Company Activity Project Date issued
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Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. Production......... Trans-Alaska Pipeline Operation & November 15, 2011.
Maintenance.
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. Production......... Trans-Alaska Pipeline Operation & December 11, 2012.
Maintenance.
[[Page 19289]]
BP Exploration Alaska, Inc....... Exploration........ Summer Seismic Survey............. August 3, 2011.
BP Exploration Alaska, Inc....... Production......... North Slope Production............ August 3, 2011.
BP Exploration Alaska, Inc....... Development........ Liberty Development Project....... January 10, 2012.
BP Exploration Alaska, Inc....... Development........ Red Dog 1 Plug and January 10, 2012.
Abandonment Project.
BP Exploration Alaska, Inc....... Exploration........ Simpson Lagoon Seismic Survey..... July 16, 2012.
Brooks Range Petroleum Exploration........ North Tarn/Mustang Exploration November 20, 2011.
Corporation. Program.
Brooks Range Petroleum Exploration........ Tofcat Exploration Program........ February 1, 2012.
Corporation.
Brooks Range Petroleum Exploration........ Mustang Exploration Program....... January 15, 2013.
Corporation.
CGGVeritas....................... Exploration........ Tabasco 3D Seismic Survey......... November 30, 2011.
CGGVeritas....................... Exploration........ Great Bear 3D Seismic Survey...... March 19, 2012.
CGGVeritas....................... Exploration........ Great Bear Winter 3D Seismic February 1, 2013.
Survey.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc....... Production......... North Slope Production............ August, 3, 2011.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc....... Exploration........ Hydrate Production Test, Ignik December 1, 2011.
Sikumi I, Prudhoe Bay Unit.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc....... Development........ Hemi Springs Plug and Abandonment January 15, 2012.
Program.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc....... Development........ North Staines River 1 March 19, 2012.
Well Inspection.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc....... Development........ Gravel Borehole Project........... March 19, 2012.
ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc....... Exploration........ Winter Exploration Drilling December 15, 2012.
Program.
Eni US Operating Co., Inc........ Development........ Nikaitchuq Development Project.... August 15, 2012.
ExxonMobil Production Company.... Exploration........ Prudhoe Bay Bathymetry & Noise April 1, 2012.
Monitoring Survey.
ExxonMobil Production Company.... Development........ Point Thomson..................... February 1, 2012.
ExxonMobil Production Company.... Development........ Point Thomson..................... February 1, 2013.
Great Bear Petroleum, LLC........ Exploration........ Great Bear Exploration and January 19, 2012.
Evaluation Program.
Ion Geophysical.................. Exploration........ 2D Seismic Survey................. October 17, 2012.
North Slope Borough.............. Development........ Gas Fields Well Drilling Program.. May 1, 2012.
Olgoonik Fairweather, LLC........ Exploration........ Beaufort Sea Acoustic Monitoring July 15, 2012.
Recorder Deployment and Retrieval
Project.
Olgoonik Fairweather, LLC........ Exploration........ Marine Fish Transboundary Cruise September 19, 2012.
Environmental Studies Program.
Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska, Production......... North Slope Production............ August 3, 2011.
Inc..
Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska, Exploration........ North Slope Exploration Program... October 17, 2011.
Inc..
Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska, Development........ Nuna Development Program.......... April 20, 2012.
Inc..
Repsol E&P USA, Inc.............. Exploration........ Colville River Delta Winter December 7, 2011.
Drilling.
Repsol E&P USA, Inc.............. Exploration........ Colville River Delta Winter February 7, 2013.
Drilling.
Savant Alaska, LLC............... Development........ Badami Unit Redevelopment Project. April 15, 2012.
Shell Offshore, Inc.............. Exploration........ Beaufort Sea Ice Observation and January 10, 2012.
On-Ice Argos Data Buoy Deployment
Program.
Shell Offshore, Inc.............. Exploration........ Beaufort Sea Open Water Marine June 4, 2012.
Survey Program and Onshore
Environmental Baseline Study
Activities.
Shell Offshore, Inc.............. Exploration........ Camden Bay OCS Exploration June 4, 2012.
Drilling.
Shell Offshore, Inc.............. Exploration........ Beaufort Sea Ice Observation and January 1, 2013.
On-Ice Argos Data Buoy Deployment
Program.
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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 process under which we issue LOAs to
applicants and the requirements that the holders of LOAs must follow is
the same as described above for LOAs issued under 50 CFR 18, subpart J.
In accordance with section 101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA and our
regulations at 50 CFR 18, subpart I, we issued LOAs to the following
companies in the Chukchi Sea:
Chukchi Sea Letters of Authorization
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Company Activity Project Date issued
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Olgoonik Fairweather, LLC........ Exploration........ Chukchi Sea Baseline Environmental July 15, 2012.
Studies Program.
Shell Offshore, Inc.............. Exploration........ Chukchi Sea Ice Observation January 10, 2012.
Flights Program.
Shell Offshore, Inc.............. Exploration........ Chukchi Sea Coastal Marine and June 4, 2012.
Onshore Environmental Baseline
Study.
Shell Offshore, Inc.............. Exploration........ Chukchi Sea OCS Exploratory June 4, 2012.
Drilling Program.
[[Page 19290]]
Shell Offshore, Inc.............. Exploration........ Chukchi Sea Ice Observation February 1, 2013.
Flights Program.
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Dated: March 12, 2013.
Geoffrey Haskett,
Regional Director, Alaska Region.
[FR Doc. 2013-07339 Filed 3-28-13; 8:45 am]
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