The NewsRoom
Release: #3381
Date: October 18, 2005

Gulf of Mexico Region Adjudication Office Reopens in New Orleans

HOUSTON -The Minerals Management Service is pleased to announce that beginning today, Tuesday, October 18, the Adjudication Office of the Gulf of Mexico Region at 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard in New Orleans will resume the receipt of mail, telephone calls and emails.  Public access to the Adjudication office is set to resume this Thursday, October 20, beginning at 8:00 a.m. 

“This is a major step forward in the MMS commitment to return its Regional operations to New Orleans,” said Gulf of Mexico Regional Director Chris Oynes.  Oynes also noted that “our customers may experience delays in actions that are approved by the Adjudication Unit because of workload issues and the backlog of work now received from the closure of the office as a result of the hurricanes.” 

The Adjudication Office serves the oil and gas industry and the legal community by issuing new leases; maintaining the official lease record files; maintaining and updating the corporate database relating to record title and operating rights interest, designated lease operator, surety bonds, qualified companies, lease status, and pipeline right-of-way; adjudicating changes in lease ownership, mergers, and company name changes; and coordinating annual pipeline billings with Royalty Management Program. 

To ensure the safety of all visitors to the Adjudication office during ongoing construction in the building, several new requirements will be implemented.  Parking will be allowed only on the south (K-Mart) side of the building, as only the south entrance of the building will be open.  Visitors will be required to sign-in with the receptionist in the lobby and must be escorted by Adjudication staff into the Adjudication office.  Visitors will not be allowed in any other office. 

MMS, part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, oversees 1.76 billion acres of the Outer Continental Shelf, managing offshore energy and minerals while protecting the human, marine, and coastal environments. The OCS provides 30 percent of oil and 21 percent of natural gas produced domestically, as well as sand used for coastal restoration. MMS collects, accounts for, and disburses mineral revenues from Federal and American Indian lands, and contributes to the Land and Water Conservation Fund and other special use funds, with Fiscal Year 2004 disbursements of about $8 billion and more than $143 billion since 1982. 

Relevant Web Sites:
   MMS Main Website
   Gulf of Mexico Website

Media Contacts:
   Debra Winbush  (281) 873-1858
   Caryl Fagot        (281) 873-1859

MMS: Securing Ocean Energy & Economic Value for America
U.S. Department of the Interior
 

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