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

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 94-IN, dated December 1, 1994, that announced the transfer of the management of the day-to-day operation of the Lessee Training Program (LTP) from the Minerals Management Service (MMS) Headquarters to the regional offices.

This NTL is issued to update addresses, correct citations that were changed when MMS amended the regulations governing the training of lessee and contractor employees engaged in oil and gas and sulphur operations in the OCS (and the subsequent renumbering of all 30 CFR part 250 regulations), and to include a statement regarding the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The new Subpart O--Training regulations became effective March 7, 1997.

The MMS is responsible for operations in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). An important factor in ensuring that OCS oil and gas operations are carried out in a manner which emphasizes the safety of operations and minimizes the risk of environmental damage is the lessees’ employment of highly qualified and trained personnel to perform such operations. To ensure that key operating personnel of lessees and contractors are properly trained in well-control and production safety systems, MMS has developed and implemented training regulations since the late 1970's. Initially, training was required for key personnel in drilling, well-control, and production safety devices. In the late 1980's, MMS proposed new training for well-completion, well-workover, and well-servicing operations and revised regulations for drilling and production safety systems, which became fully effective on February 25, 1993.

Since the late seventies, MMS Headquarters personnel had been responsible for the day-to-day operation of the training program. Effective December 1, 1994, MMS regional offices began administering the training responsibility for the day-to-day operations, including the review of training programs and implementation plans and the conduct of onsite evaluations and audits. Headquarters remained responsible for program oversight and coordination.

Decentralization of the LTP to the regional offices was done to provide MMS’s customers with more timely and quality service and to decrease the project management costs associated with implementing this program.

All correspondence (exceptions are detailed below) from a school or organization related to the LTP should be directed as indicated below:

1.  Schools located in areas within the Eastern and   Central Time Zones should send all correspondence to:

Regional Director
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region
Minerals Management Service
1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard
New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394

2.  Schools located in areas within the Mountain and Pacific Time Zones should send all correspondence to:

Regional Director
Pacific OCS Region
Minerals Management Service
770 Paseo Camarillo
Camarillo, California 93010-6064

3.  Schools located in areas within the Alaskan and Hawaiian Time Zones should send all correspondence to:

Regional Director
Alaska OCS Region
Minerals Management Service
949 East 36^th Avenue, Room 110
Anchorage, Alaska 99508-4302

The items listed below are exceptions and should be brought to the attention of:

Chief, Operations Analysis Branch
Minerals Management Service
381 Elden Street, MS-4022
Herndon, Virginia 20170-4817

* * EXCEPTIONS * *

1.  Information on students successfully completing an approved training course pursuant to 30 CFR 250.1503-250.1517.

2.  Requests for exceptions pursuant to 30 CFR 250.1508.

3.  All requests relating to schools and/or courses outside the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii.

4.  Implementation of any MMS-conducted testing of lessees or contractors at the work site or at the training facility pursuant to30 CFR 250.1521-250.1523.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Statement: The collection of information referred to in this notice is intended to provide clarification, description, or interpretation of requirements in 30 CFR 250, subpart O. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved the information collection requirements in these regulations and assigned OMB control number 1010-0078. This notice does not impose additional information collection requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

This NTL is also on the Minerals Management Service's worldwide website at http://www.mms.gov.

Dated: 27 May 1998

Signed by Carolita U. Kallaur,
Associate Director for Offshore Minerals Management

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Last Updated: 02/01/2006, 12:39 PM