Notice to Lessees (NTLs)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION NTL No. 2007-G06 Effective Date: April 1, 2007 Expiration Date: June 1, 2008 NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL AND GAS LEASES IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF, GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION Drilling Windows, Eastern Gu

This NTL is being issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103 to provide information on the marine trash and debris awareness training video and slide show, and both postal and e-mail addresses for submitting annual training reports. This NTL supersedes and replaces NTL No. 2003-G11, effective June 19, 2003, on this subject and applies to all existing and future oil and gas operations in the Gulf of Mexico OCS.

This Notice to Lessees and Operators and Pipeline Right-of-way Holders (NTL) is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103 and supersedes NTL No. 98-20, dated September 15, 1998. It provides guidelines for using 3-D data and information instead of high-resolution data in water depths greater than 200 meters (656 feet), using the multichannel medium to acquire 2-D highresolution survey data and processing it, submitting shallow hazards survey reports in digital format, moving vessels near pipelines, and using a state-of-the-art navigation system to depict potential hazards. This NTL also makes some technical amendments and updates cited regulatory authorities.

This Notice to Lessees (NTL), Operators and Pipeline Right-of-way Holders is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103. This NTL supersedes NTL 2006-N02 effective March 8, 2006. Pursuant to 30 CFR 250.125 and 256.63, you must pay non-refundable filing fees to the Minerals Management Service (MMS). Payments must accompany MMS applications that require cost recovery fees.

This Notice to Lessees and Operators and Pipeline Right-of-way Holders (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 2002-G09, effective October 1, 2002, on this subject. This NTL provides additional guidance on the review and update of Oil Spill Response Plans (OSRP), recognizes the National Incident Management System, adds a new Section 22 to OSRP’s regarding prevention measures for facilities located in State waters, updates regulatory citations, and makes a few minor technical amendments.

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103 and supersedes NTL No. 2006-G11, effective June 2, 2006, on this subject. It adds a definition for curtailed production, adds a telefax number for transmitting Form MMS-132 and the facility shut-in report, updates a regulatory reference, and changes a contact.

This NTL supersedes NTL 98-29 and associated addendums to continue the task of cleaning up our historical data for wells in the GOMR. In doing so, every effort has been made to minimize the burden on industry in accomplishing this goal.

The primary objective of Historical Well Data Cleanup (HWDC) is to obtain missing data for wellbores that have not been assigned API numbers by the MMS. We are looking for any records that would have been submitted to MMS. These range from very straightforward to extremely complex, depending on the types of problems encountered during drilling operations. Having complete and accurate documentation of all drilling activities is the goal, and operator cooperation is an essential part of locating missing information for the cleanup of data from these wells.

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103. It makes provisions for you to conduct certain platform operations before you receive approval from the Minerals Management Service (MMS) Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR).

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) issued Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) No. 2006-G16 (Effective Date: July 15, 2006) which redefines the procedures on how lessees/operators submit well records required by 30 CFR 250.468 and 469, clarifies the specific well records you must submit, the required submittal dates of the various well records, and the correct locations where you must send these well records.

This NTL is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103 and provides guidance for submitting OCS plans required by 30 CFR 250, subpart B, to the Minerals Management Service (MMS) GOMR. This NTL, along with NTL No. 2006-G14, “Information Requirements for Exploration Plans and Development Operations Coordination Documents,” supersedes NTL No. 2003-G17. This NTL provides guidance on changing approved or pending Exploration Plans (EP’s) and Development Operations Coordination Documents (DOCD’s), the number of copies required, electronic submission, and the submittal address.

This NTL is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103 and provides guidance on the information requirements for OCS plans required by 30 CFR 250, subpart B. This NTL, along with NTL No. 2006-G15, “Guidance for Submitting Exploration Plans and Development Operations Coordination Documents,” supersedes NTL No. 2003-G17.

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103. It makes provisions for you to conduct certain platform operations before you receive approval from the Minerals Management Service (MMS) Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR). Similar guidance was given in superseded NTL No. 2005-G18, effective October 7, 2005, as a result of the workloads incurred by the MMS GOMR because of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Since these workloads have not yet subsided, the MMS GOMR believes it necessary to reissue this guidance.

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103 and supersedes the Letters to Lessees (LTL) dated November 8, 1990, and June 21, 1991, regarding preliminary activities. It provides guidance and clarification on conducting ancillary activities in the Minerals Management Service (MMS) Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR).

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103 and supersedes NTL No. 2005-G15, effective September 21, 2005, on this subject. It modifies Form MMS-132, Hurricane and Tropical Storm Evacuation and Production Curtailment Statistics, to provide for statistics regarding the number of platforms and drilling rigs not evacuated, and provides an electronic means of submitting Form MMS-132 and the facility shut-in report.

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103 and provides guidance on the information you must submit with your Form MMS-123, Application for Permit to Drill (APD), to demonstrate the fitness of any moored drilling rig you will use to conduct operations in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) OCS during the 2006 hurricane season. As required by 30 CFR 250.417(a), this information must demonstrate that the associated moored drilling rig is capable of performing at the proposed drilling location. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) will use the recommendations in the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) newly developed Recommended Practice 95F, Interim Guidance for Gulf of Mexico MODU Mooring Practice – 2006 Hurricane Season (API RP 95F), to guide our review and evaluation of the information and data that demonstrate the moored rig’s capability to perform at the proposed location.

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103 and provides guidance on the information you must submit with your Form MMS-123, Application for Permit to Drill (APD) to demonstrate the fitness of any jack-up drilling rig you will use to conduct operations in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) OCS during the 2006 hurricane season. As required by 30 CFR 250.417(a), this information must demonstrate that the associated jack-up drilling rig is capable of performing at the proposed drilling location. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) will use the recommendations in the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) newly developed Recommended Practice 95J, Gulf of Mexico Jackup Operations for Hurricane Season – Interim Recommendations (API RP 95J), to guide our review and evaluation of the information and data that demonstrate the jack-up rig’s capability to perform at the proposed location.

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 2005-G22, issued November 02, 2005. It is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103 and notifies you to resume the submission of Well Records as described in NTL No. 2004 G-07 and NTL No. 2004
G-07 Addendum beginning April 01, 2006 to the following address:

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 2004-G22, effective December 1, 2004. It provides a new schedule for the drilling window program. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR), after consultation with the U.S. Air Force, established a drilling window program in 1991 for exploratory activities on oil and gas leases that were obtained through Lease Sales Nos. 79, 94, and 116 and that contain Lease Stipulation No. 5. In accordance with this lease stipulation, the drilling window program ensures that exploration activities can be conducted predictably, orderly, and safely without interfering with scheduled military activities or jeopardizing the national defense mission.

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) is issued pursuant to 30 CFR 250.103 and 30 CFR 250.175(a) to provide guidance to our existing authority for approving requests for lease or unit Suspensions of Operations (SOO’s) based on rig delays and to implement a temporary policy for granting SOO’s based on a lack of rig availability and for unanticipated time frames needed to secure long lead equipment such as high pressure/temperature tubulars and wellheads.

Announces changes in prior NTL 2000-G20 to broaden scope to cover all high-density Deepwater benthic communities, defines Deepwater as 300 meters not 400 meters, increases the separation distance from muds and cuttings discharge from 1500 to 2000 feet and clarifies conditions of approval, and provides for additional 1000-foot buffer area around benthic communities beyond maximum anchor areas.  Clarifies that the NTL applies to pipe-lay vessels and chains, with option to reduce the distance requirements if no benthic communities actually exist in areas of impact.

Provides and consolidates guidance for avoidance and protection of biologically sensitive features and areas (e.g., coral reefs) when conducting OCS operations in water depths of less than 300 meters (984 feet).   Clarifies requirements to review existing and future EPs and DOCDs for "bottom disturbances" caused by use of anchors, chains, cables, wire ropes and pipelines, and to observe "no activity zones" identified by NOAA Fisheries.  The NTL is more protective because it changes the applicable water depth for protective measures from 400 meters to 300 meters.

Notice to industry that USAF communication seven GOM towers require clear lines of sight from one to another, and be kept free of electromagnetic interference.  To accomplish these goals, no activities will be allowed within a 500-radius of towers sites, or within 100 feet of the centerline of a line of sight between the towers.

The purpose of this NTL is to authorize the use of the Barrier Concept as the basis for using alternate procedures or equipment in the safety systems for subsea production operations and to clarify the differences between topsides and subsea production operation.

Provides guidance and instructions on disposal of E&P waste, worker safety when handling waste, and contents of applications to dispose of or store E&P wastes.   Includes worker safety guidelines for handling NORM waste when above background levels, and requires written disclosure of the lease number, area, block, and well number of any disposal wells.

Provides clarification on procedures for conducting ancillary activity, including at least 15 days' written notice to the regional office before initiating ancillary activity such as  deploying air guns or seismic arrays in water depths of 200 meters or greater; creating bottom disturbances, independent of water depth, including ocean bottom cable surveys, and time lapse (4D) surveys; and geotechnical evaluation involving piston/gravity-coring or the recovery of sediment specimens by grab-sampling or other similar technique, and dredging of the seafloor.

Clarifies definitions of sidetrack and bypass and provides instructions, exhibits, and guidance for naming subsea wells, completions, and wellbores.  Makes administrative and formatting changes to prior NTL.

Updates policy on platform inspection intervals, including guidance on conducting corrosion assessments, regulatory and document references and revises contact information for Gulf Regional office of Structural and Technical Support.

Describes inspections to conduct and reports to prepare to address known and potential damages to OCS platforms and other floating structures (above and below waterline), disruption to and resumption of production operations, MODUs, subsea production safety systems, and pipelines caused by future Hurricanes or major storms.  

Provides guidance on submitting alternate procedure and equipment departure requests from regulations at 30 CFR 250 Subpart J, focusing on pipeline pre-testing applications for valves,  pumps, and redundant pressure safety devices associated with  subsea tiebacks.

Clarifies policy for lessees and operators that revise EPs and DOCDs to change approved anchor patterns or anchor areas, and provides guidance for sidetrack wells.  Sets forth information to be submitted with change requests, including types of drilling rigs, vessels, or platforms, the surface location, whether the mineral is oil or gas, and emission of air pollutants during drilling and production.  Changes of anchor locations of 500 feet or more require advance approval of anchor array patterns.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION NTL No. 2009-G38 Effective Date: December 1, 2009 Expiration Date: December 1, 2010 NOTICE TO LESSEES AND OPERATORS OF FEDERAL OIL AND GAS LEASES IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF, GULF OF MEXICO OCS REGION Drilling Windows, Eas

This notice supersedes Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) 2003-06.
There have been incidents in the past involving helicopters landing on temporarily closed helidecks on platforms in the Pacific OCS Region. In the interest of safety, we recommend that the following corrective actions be taken. We recommend implementation and continued application of these procedures pursuant to Title 30 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 250.107(b): "You must immediately control, remove, or otherwise correct any hazardous oil and gas accumulation or other health, safety, or fire hazard."

Provides guidance on use of SCADA systems for electronic monitoring of facilities and operating conditions, including wind speeds and downstream components (flowlines, pipelines, and separators located between the hydrocarbon sources and sensing points).  Sets forth approval conditions for when a SCADA system will be permitted to shut-in and restart essential operations.

Guidance on how to avoid compromising the structural integrity of platforms prior to relocation; applies to both fixed and floating platform rigs.  If the platform rig trips any of the platform assessment initiators listed API RP 2A-WSD, the operator must perform a platform assessment in accordance with 30 CFR 250.920(s).

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 2002-G10, effective September 4, 2002, on this subject. It makes minor technical corrections; updates regulatory citations; adds standard conditions for well operations associated with drilling, workovers, completions, recompletions, temporary abandonment, and permanent plugging; and includes a guidance document statement.

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 2004-G04, dated March 7, 2004. It makes minor technical amendments and includes a guidance document statement.

Updates regulatory citations; adds guidance for level safety high (LSH) sensors on atmospheric vessels, including design and maintenance criteria for the sensor bridle to prevent fluids of different densities from impacting sensor functionality.

Provides guidance on how to install pressure safety high sensors or provide over-pressure and under-pressure  protection to vessels in accord with API Recommended Practice 14C.  Defines the term production train to include vessels not separated by pressure control valves or extensive piping that would cause a drop across a system of more than 10% or 50 psi, whichever is greater. 

Clarifies the process for establishing a designated safe welding area for each particular rig as part of a written Welding Plan; updates terminology for "welding" and contact information for submitting welding plans to District Supervisors of MMS.

This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) supersedes NTL No. 2009-G08, effective June 1, 2009, on this subject. It changes the expiration date, provides a warning regarding failure to follow the guidance and requirements in the NTL, and revises the Paperwork Reduction Act statement.

Updates prior NTL to specify requirement to submit pipeline location data on compact disks, and revokes aspects of NTL No. 98-09 that facilitated submission of "as-Built" location data before the construction report.

Describes functional responsibility by District and Regional offices for all MMS regulations beginning with General Requirements.

Guidance on evaluation of tie-downs on OCS production platforms to secure drilling and workover rigs, permanent equipment, and facilities during Hurricane season.  This NTL is based on industry document API Recommended Practice 2TD, and efforts to reduce tie-down failures during heavy storms. 

Updates regulatory citations pertaining to operations on floating drilling rigs, and the disconnect of marine risers during routine function test of blind-shear rams, based on recent 'near miss' event that could have threatened loss of well control.  Requires changes to control panel to ensure that LMRP disconnect process occurs only in response to deliberate acts.

Notice to specify the location of the choke and kill lines serving blowout preventer (BOP) stacks. Only those regulations pertaining to Oil & Gas Drilling Operations currently specify the exact location of choke lines as above the bottom ram in the stack.  MMS reiterates that no approvals of APMs will be made for any type of oil and gas drilling or well operations.  States District offices may approve installations of kill lines only below the bottom ram, upon submission of schematic drawing of BOP stack and MMS design evaluation. 

Updates terminology and contact information, identifies permissible well-workover operations with tree installed that are defined as 'routine'.   Reiterates that all 'non-routine' well-workover operations may not be performed without MMS approval, including acidizing, while clarifying that acidizing operations using the 'bulkheading' method is considered routine where no change occurs in the wellbore configuration.  Acidizing operations using a Coiled Tubing unit are considered non-routine.

Notice to operators and pipeline right-of-way holders regarding the goals of coastal restoration, beach nourishment, and levee construction to mitigate erosion, flooding, and land loss in coastal Louisiana.  Adopts safeguards of OCS sediment policy as authorized by Marine Minerals Program. States that future requests for decommissioning-in-place (DIP) of pipelines in such designated sediment reserves are discouraged.     

Guidance on provision of synthetic mooring systems in DWOPs, considered a non-conventional technology regardless of water depth.  The design should conform to API Recommended Practice 2SM and operators must comply with 30 CFR 250.292(c) for design, fabrication, and installation information on the mooring system. 

Ocean Current Monitoring - This Notice to Lessees and Operators (NTL) replaces NTL No. 2007-G17, effective May 7, 2007, and expired April 30, 2008.

Clarifies information requirements for EPs, DPPs, and DOCDs across all OCS areas and in both shallow water (less than 500 feet) and Deepwater (over 500 feet).  Authorizes performance of rig-related workovers and certain drilling activity for which an APD is already approved, without submitting additional information.   Provides examples of new information required by BOEMRE in six attachments.