UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE
GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION

NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL AND GAS LEASES
IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF, GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION

Lease Extension Because of Hurricane Ivan

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) is issued to provide a reminder of your obligations to maintain production in paying quantities or other operations on your lease beyond the primary term if such activity was affected by Hurricane Ivan, which struck land on September 16, 2004.  Failure to maintain operations or receive a suspension may result in your lease terminating by operation of law.

What are the ways to hold my lease beyond its primary term?

To extend your lease beyond its primary term, you must satisfy the requirements found in (1) the terms and conditions of your OCS lease agreement and (2) the regulations found at 30 CFR 250.180 or 250.168 through 177.  Pursuant to 30 CFR 250.180, a lease, beyond its primary term, expires 180 days from the date you stopped conducting lease holding operations, unless you resume operations within the 180 days or receive a suspension of production (SOP) or suspension of operations (SOO).  The regulations at 30 CFR 250.180(a)(2) define the term “operations” as drilling, well-reworking, or production in paying quantities.  If operations on your lease ceased as a result of Hurricane Ivan and will not resume within the subsequent 180-day period, you may need to request, pursuant to 30 CFR 250.171, an SOP or SOO approximately three weeks before that period expires.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Statement

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA)(44 U.S.C. 3504 et seq.) requires us to inform you that the MMS collects this information to carry out its responsibilities under the OCS Lands Act, as amended.  Responses are mandatory.  No proprietary data are collected.  An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection. This NTL does not impose additional information collection requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.  The information collection referred to in this NTL is intended to provide clarification, description, or interpretation of requirements contained in 30 CFR 250, subpart A.  The OMB has approved the collection of information and assigned OMB control number 1010-0114, expiration 10/31/2007.  Direct any comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, Mail Stop 4230, Minerals Management Service, Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC  20240. 

Contact

If you have any specific questions concerning this matter, please contact Mr. Stephen Dessauer by e-mail at stephen.dessauer@mms.gov or by phone at (504) 736-2646.

[original signed]
Chris C. Oynes
Regional Director