Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) of Federal Oil and Gas Leases on the Outer Continental Shelf

Payment Method for New and Certain Existing Cost Recovery Fees

NOTE: NTL 2006-N02 is available for download in Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF).

The final cost recovery rule published on August 25, 2005 (70 FR 49871), stated that a payment method for the new and adjusted fees was still being developed, and that lessees would be notified via a Notice to Lessees (NTL) before the effective date of the rule.  The effective date of the rule was delayed to January 1, 2006, and existing fees waived until January 3, 2006 (70 FR 56119, and 70 FR 61891).

MMS issued an NTL on Tuesday January 3, 2006 (NTL 2005–N03) (70 FR 56119, and 70 FR 61891) stating that lessees must continue submitting only checks and credit card payments until further notice.  This NTL is to notify lessees in the Gulf of Mexico Region (GOMR) that a third payment method is now available for the new production and development fees implemented on January 1, 2006.  Those fees include:

Lessees in the GOMR can now submit payment via credit card, check or Automated Clearing House (ACH) debit information to pay for the above services.

• Credit card information submitted to MMS must include the credit card number, expiration date, and the three digit security number located on the back of the card.
   
• ACH debit information submitted to MMS must include the American Bankers Association (ABA) routing number and account number.  The ACH debit method offers an alternative to submitting paper checks.

Lessees in the Pacific and Alaska Regions and lessees in all Regions submitting applications for services other than the production and development services listed in this NTL cannot use the ACH debit method and must continue to use existing payment methods.

MMS is working to enable lessees to access the “Pay.Gov” website and pay fees online. When the online payment system is available for all payments for all lessees a new NTL will be issued and this NTL will be rescinded.

If you have any questions regarding this NTL, you may contact Gabe Durand at gabe.durand@mms.gov, or (703) 787-1682.

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 the information and the associated fees to carry out its responsibilities under the OCS Lands Act, as amended.  MMS is collecting fees to offset MMS’s costs of performing certain services relating to its minerals programs. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.  The OMB has approved the collection of information for the affected regulations and assigned OMB control numbers 1010-0114, 1010-0050, 1010-0041, 1010-0068, and 1010-0006.  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.