Notices (2009):
 

	Notice of the Annual Price Threshold Determination (62 KB PDF) Federal Register: Vol. 74, No. 106, FR 26879(06/04/2009) Summary: This notice provides the official MMS determination of which Gulf of Mexico price thresholds have been exceeded by annual market prices for oil or gas, by lease vintage, for calendar year 2008. This notice also explains in detail how MMS calculates the annual oil and gas prices and applicable price thresholds used to determine whether royalty relief applies in calendar year 2008 for our various deepwater and deep depth royalty relief programs.
	Notice summarizing Outer Continental Shelf Civil Penalties paid from January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2008 (70 KB PDF) Federal Register Cite: Vol. 74, No. 59, FR 14151(03/30/2009) Summary: This notice provides a listing of civil penalties paid from January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2008, for violations of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. The goal of the MMS Outer Continental Shelf Civil Penalties Program is to assure safe and clean oil, gas, sulphur, or other minerals operations on the Outer Continental Shelf. Through the pursuit, assessment, and collection of civil penalties and referrals for the consideration of criminal penalties, the program is designed to encourage compliance with applicable statutes and regulations. The purpose of publishing the penalties summary is to provide information to the public on violations of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and to provide an additional incentive for safe and environmentally sound operations.
	Notice of Availability (NOA) of Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed Cape Wind Energy Project on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) off Massachusetts, in Nantucket Sound; Request for Comment (54 KB PDF) Federal Register Cite: Vol. 74, No. 12, FR 3635 (01/21/2009) Summary: The MMS is announcing the availability of a final EIS for the proposed Cape Wind Energy Project. Cape Wind Associates, LLC (CWA) has requested a lease, easement or right-of way, pursuant to section 8(p) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) (43 U.S.C. 1337) as amended, and proposes to construct and operate a wind energy facility on the OCS off Massachusetts, in Nantucket Sound. The final EIS is intended to inform the public of the proposed action and reasonable alternatives, including the ‘‘no action’’ alternative; analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental effects of the proposed action and each of the reasonable alternatives; address public comment received on the draft EIS that was released in January 2008; and provide information to support decision-making.
	Request for Comments on the Draft Proposed 5-Year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2010–2015 and Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed 5-Year Program (71 KB PDF) Federal Register Cite: Vol. 74, No. 12, FR 3631 (01/21/2009) Summary: The Minerals Management Service (MMS) requests comments on the Draft Proposed 5-year OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2010–2015 (DPP). This draft proposal is for a new oil and gas program to succeed the current program that is currently set to expire on June 30, 2012, and forms the basis for conducting the studies and analyses the Secretary will consider in making future decisions on what areas of the OCS to include in the program. Section 18 of the OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1344) specifies a multi-step process of consultation and analysis that must be completed before the Secretary of the Interior may approve a new 5-year program. The required steps following this notice include the development of a proposed program, a proposed final program, and Secretarial approval. Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the MMS also will prepare an EIS for the new 5-year program.
	Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Central Planning Area (CPA) Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Oil and Gas Lease Sale 208 (78 KB PDF) Federal Register Cite: Vol. 74, No. 9, FR 2092 (01/14/2009) Summary: On Wednesday, March 18, 2009, the MMS will open and publicly announce bids received for blocks offered in CPA Oil and Gas Lease Sale 208, pursuant to the OCS Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1331–1356, as amended) and the regulations issued thereunder (30 CFR Part 256). The Final Notice of Sale 208 Package (Final NOS 208 Package) contains information essential to bidders, and bidders are charged with the knowledge of the documents contained in the Package.

Final Rules (2009):

	Outer Continental Shelf—Technical Corrections Regulatory Identifier Number (RIN) 1010-AD52 Federal Register: Vol. 74, No. 176, FR 46904 (09/14/09) Summary: This document makes technical changes to regulations that were published in various Federal Register documents and are codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, as well as announcing the approval by the Office of Management and Budget of information collection requirements contained in two previously published regulations. Effective Date: This rule becomes effective on September 14, 2009
	Geological and Geophysical (G&G) Explorations of the OCS—Changing Proprietary Term of Certain Geophysical Information Regulatory Identifier Number (RIN) 1010-AD41 Federal Register: Vol. 74, No. 155, FR 40726 (08/13/09) Summary: This final rule extends the proprietary term of certain reprocessed geophysical information submitted to MMS under a permit. The rule gives up to 5 years of additional protection to reprocessed vintage geophysical information that MMS retains and, without an extension, is subject to release by MMS 25 years after issuing the permit. The extension provides incentives to permittees and third parties to reprocess, market, or in other ways use geophysical information that may not otherwise be reprocessed without the term extension. The extension does not apply to geological data or information. Effective Date: This rule becomes effective on September 14, 2009
	Technical Changes to Production Measurement and Training Requirements (71KB PDF) Regulatory Identifier Number (RIN) 1010-AD55 (formerly AD50) Federal Register: Vol. 74, No.153, FR 74 40069 (08/11/09) Summary: This final rule will revise the production measurement regulations to establish meter proving, meter verification/calibration, and well test requirements after hurricanes and other events beyond the control of the lessee. This rulemaking will eliminate some reporting burden on industry, and it will eliminate the need for MMS to grant waivers to the reporting requirements in certain situations. The final rule will also add new definitions providing clarity in the training regulations, which should lead to improved training of Outer Continental Shelf workers. Effective Date: This rule becomes effective on September 10, 2009.
	Renewable Energy and Alternate Uses of Existing Facilities on the Outer Continental Shelf (10.42 MB PDF)
	Environmental Assessment (505.40 KB PDF)
	Final Technical Report (618.37 KB PDF) Regulatory Identifier Number (RIN): 1010-AD30 Federal Register Cite: Vol. 74, No. 81, FR 74 19638 (04/29/2009) Summary: The MMS is publishing final regulations to establish a program to grant leases, easements, and rights-of-way (ROW) for renewable energy project activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), as well as certain previously unauthorized activities that involve the alternate use of existing facilities located on the OCS; and to establish the methods for sharing revenues generated by this program with nearby coastal States. These regulations will also ensure the orderly, safe, and environmentally responsible development of renewable energy sources on the OCS. The MMS prepared a Final Environmental Assessment (EA) analyzing this rule. The EA incorporates by reference the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Alternative Energy Development and Production and Alternate Use of Facilities on the Outer Continental Shelf, Final Environmental Impact Statement, October 2007. The EA was prepared to assess any impacts of this rule.