Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sale 257

• Published date: 04 October 2021
• Citation: 86 FR 54728
• Record Number: 2021-21682
• Section: Notices
• Court: Ocean Energy Management Bureau

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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 189 / Monday, October 4, 2021 / Notices

1

The BOEM Official Protraction Diagrams (OPDs)

and Supplemental Official Block Diagrams are available online at https://www.boem.gov/Maps-

and-GIS-Data/.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

[Docket No. BOEM–2021–0005]

Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf

Oil and Gas Lease Sale 257

AGENCY

: Bureau of Ocean Energy

Management, Interior.

ACTION

: Final notice of sale.

SUMMARY

: On Wednesday, November

17, 2021, the Bureau of Ocean Energy

Management (BOEM) will open and

publicly announce bids received for

blocks offered in the Gulf of Mexico

(GOM) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)

Oil and Gas Lease Sale 257 (GOM Lease

Sale 257), in accordance with the

provisions of the Outer Continental

Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), as amended,

and the implementing regulations

issued pursuant thereto. The GOM

Lease Sale 257 Final Notice of Sale

(NOS) package contains information

essential to potential bidders and

consists of the Final NOS, Information

to Lessees, and Lease Stipulations.

DATES

: BOEM will hold GOM Lease Sale

257 at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday,

November 17, 2021. All times referred

to in this document are Central time,

unless otherwise specified.

Bid submission deadline: BOEM must

receive all sealed bids prior to the Bid

Submission Deadline of 10:00 a.m. on

Tuesday, November 16, 2021, the day

before the lease sale. For more

information on bid submission, see

Section VII, ‘‘Bidding Instructions,’’ of

this document.

ADDRESSES

: Bids will be accepted by

MAIL ONLY through any parcel

delivery service (e.g., FedEx, UPS,

USPS, DHL), prior to the bid submission

deadline, at 1201 Elmwood Park

Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana

70123 (see section VII. Bidding

Instructions). Bids will not be accepted

in person or by email for any reason.

Public bid reading for GOM Lease Sale

257 will be held at 1201 Elmwood Park

Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana

70123, but the venue will not be open

to the general public, media, or industry

during bid opening or reading. Bid

opening will be available for public

viewing on BOEM’s website at http://

www.boem.gov/Sale-257 via live-

streaming video beginning at 9:00 a.m.

on the date of the sale. The results will

be posted on BOEM’s website upon

completion of bid opening and reading.

Interested parties can download the

Final NOS package from BOEM’s

website at http://www.boem.gov/Sale-

257. Copies of the sale maps can be

obtained by contacting the BOEM GOM

Region: Gulf of Mexico Region Public

Information Office, Bureau of Ocean

Energy Management, 1201 Elmwood

Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana

70123–2394, (504) 736–2519 or (800)

200–GULF.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

: The

New Orleans Office Lease Sale

Coordinators at

BOEMGOMRLeaseSales@boem.gov,

504–736–7502 or Gregory Purvis, 504–

736–1729.

Authority: This notice of sale is

published pursuant to 43 U.S.C. 1331 et

seq. (Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act,

as amended) and 30 CFR 556.308(a)).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

:

Table of Contents

I. Lease Sale Area

II. Statutes and Regulations

III. Lease and Fiscal Terms

IV. Lease Stipulations

V. Information to Lessees

VI. Maps

VII. Bidding Instructions

VIII. Bidding Rules and Restrictions

IX. Forms

X. The Lease Sale

XI. Delay of Sale

I. Lease Sale Area

Blocks Offered for Leasing: BOEM

will offer for bid in this lease sale all the

available unleased acreage in the GOM,

except those blocks listed below in

‘‘Blocks Not Offered for Leasing.’’

Blocks Not Offered for Leasing: The

following whole and partial blocks are

not offered for lease in this sale.

1

•Whole and Partial Blocks within the

Flower Garden Banks National Marine

Sanctuary (East and West Flower

Garden Banks and the Stetson Bank as

of the July 2008 Memorandum on

Withdrawal of Certain Areas of U.S.

OCS from Leasing Disposition):

Area OCS block

High Island, East Addition, South

Extension (Leasing Map TX7C). Whole Block: A–398.

Partial Blocks: A–366, A–367, A–374, A–375, A–383, A–384, A–385, A–388, A–389, A–397, A–399, A–

401.

High Island, South Addition (Leas-

ing Map TX7B). Partial Blocks: A–502, A–513.

Garden Banks (OPD NG 15–02) .... Partial Blocks: 134, 135.

•Blocks that are adjacent to or

beyond the United States Exclusive Economic Zone in the area known as the

northern portion of the Eastern Gap:

Area OCS block

Lund South (OPD NG 16–07) ........ Whole Blocks: 128, 129, 169 through 173, 208 through 217, 248 through 261, 293 through 305, and 349.

Henderson (OPD NG 16–05) ......... Whole Blocks: 466, 508 through 510, 551 through 554, 594 through 599, 637 through 643, 679 through

687, 722 through 731, 764 through 775, 807 through 819, 849 through 862, 891 through 905, 933

through 949, and 975 through 992.

Partial Blocks: 335, 379, 423, 467, 511, 555, 556, 600, 644, 688, 732, 776, 777, 820, 821, 863, 864, 906,

907, 950, 993, and 994.

Florida Plain (OPD NG 16–08) ....... Whole Blocks: 5 through 24, 46 through 67, 89 through 110, 133 through 154, 177 through 197, 221

through 240, 265 through 283, 309 through 327, and 363 through 370.

•All whole and portions of blocks

deferred by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, Public Law 109–

432:

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Area OCS block

Pensacola (OPD NH 16–05) .......... Whole Blocks: 751 through 754, 793 through 798, 837 through 842, 881 through 886, 925 through 930,

and 969 through 975.

Destin Dome (OPD NH 16–08) ...... Whole Blocks: 1 through 7, 45 through 51, 89 through 96, 133 through 140, 177 through 184, 221 through

228, 265 through 273, 309 through 317, 353 through 361, 397 through 405, 441 through 450, 485

through 494, 529 through 538, 573 through 582, 617 through 627, 661 through 671, 705 through 715,

749 through 759, 793 through 804, 837 through 848, 881 through 892, 925 through 936, and 969

through 981.

DeSoto Canyon (OPD NH 16–11) .. Whole Blocks: 1 through 15, 45 through 59, and 92 through 102.

Partial Blocks: 16, 60, 61, 89 through 91, 103 through 105, and 135 through 147.

Henderson (OPD NG 16–05) ......... Partial Blocks: 114, 158, 202, 246, 290, 334, 335, 378, 379, 422, and 423.

•Depth-restricted, segregated block

portion(s):

Block 299, Main Pass Area, South and

East Addition (as shown on Louisiana

Leasing Map LA10A), containing 1,125

acres from the surface of the earth down

to a subsea depth of 1,900 feet with

respect to the following described

portions:

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.

•The following whole or partial

blocks, whose lease status is currently

under appeal:

Area OCS block

Vermillion Area

(Leasing Map LA3). Partial Block 179.

Area OCS block

Atwater Valley (OPD

NG16–01). 63.

•Whole or partial blocks that have

received bids in previous sales, where

the bidder has sought reconsideration of

BOEM’s rejection of the bid are not

offered in this sale, unless the

reconsideration request is fully resolved

at least 30 days prior to publication of

the Final NOS.

The list of blocks available can be

found on BOEM’s web page at http://

www.boem.gov/sale-257 under the Final

NOS tab.

II. Statutes and Regulations

Each lease is issued pursuant to

OCSLA, 43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq., as

amended, and 30 CFR part 556, and is

subject to OCSLA, implementing

regulations promulgated pursuant

thereto, and other applicable statutes

and regulations in existence upon the

effective date of the lease, as well as

those applicable statutes enacted and

regulations promulgated thereafter,

except to the extent that the after-

enacted statutes and regulations

explicitly conflict with an express

provision of the lease. Each lease is also

subject to amendments to statutes and

regulations, including but not limited to

OCSLA, that do not explicitly conflict

with an express provision of the lease.

The lessee expressly bears the risk that

such new or amended statutes and

regulations (i.e., those that do not

explicitly conflict with an express

provision of the lease) may increase or

decrease the lessee’s obligations under

the lease. BOEM reserves the right to

reject any and all bids received,

regardless of the amount offered (see 30

CFR 556.516).

III. Lease Terms and Economic

Conditions

Lease Terms

OCS Lease Form

BOEM will use Form BOEM–2005

(February 2017) to convey leases

resulting from this sale. This lease form

can be viewed on BOEM’s website at

http://www.boem.gov/BOEM-2005. The

lease form will be amended to include

specific terms, conditions, and

stipulations applicable to the individual

lease. The terms, conditions, and

stipulations applicable to this sale are

set forth below.

Primary Term

Primary Terms are summarized in the

following table:

Water depth

(meters) Primary term

0 to <400 .......... The primary term is 5 years; the lessee may earn an additional 3 years (i.e., for an 8-year extended primary term) if a well is

spudded targeting hydrocarbons below 25,000 feet True Vertical Depth Subsea (TVDSS) during the first 5 years of the

lease.

400 to <800 ...... The primary term is 5 years; the lessee will earn an additional 3 years (i.e., for an 8-year extended primary term) if a well is

spudded during the first 5 years of the lease.

800+ .................. 10 years.

(1) The primary term for a lease in

water depths less than 400 meters

issued as a result of this sale is 5 years.

If the lessee spuds a well targeting

hydrocarbons below 25,000 feet TVDSS

within the first 5 years of the lease, then

the lessee may earn an additional 3

years, resulting in an 8-year primary

term. The lessee will earn the 8-year

primary term when the well is drilled to

a target below 25,000 feet TVDSS, or the

lessee may earn the 8-year primary term

in cases where the well targets, but does

not reach, a depth below 25,000 feet

TVDSS due to mechanical or safety

reasons, and where the lessee provides

sufficient evidence that it did not reach

that target for reasons beyond the

lessee’s control. To earn the 8-year

primary term, the lessee is required to

submit a letter to the BOEM GOM

Regional Supervisor, Office of Leasing

and Plans, as soon as practicable, but no

more than 30 days after completion of

the drilling operation, providing the

well number, spud date, information

demonstrating a target below 25,000 feet

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TVDSS and whether that target was

reached, and if applicable, any safety,

mechanical, or other problems

encountered that prevented the well

from reaching a depth below 25,000 feet

TVDSS. This letter must request

confirmation that the lessee earned the

8-year primary term. The BOEM GOM

Regional Supervisor for Leasing and

Plans will confirm in writing, within 30

days of receiving the lessee’s letter,

whether the lessee has earned the

extended primary term and accordingly

update BOEM’s records. The extended

primary term is not effective unless and

until the lessee receives confirmation

from BOEM. A lessee that has earned

the 8-year primary term by spudding a

well with a hydrocarbon target below

25,000 feet TVDSS during the standard

5-year primary term of the lease will not

be granted a suspension for that same

period under the regulations at 30 CFR

250.175 because the lease is not at risk

of expiring.

(2) The primary term for a lease in

water depths ranging from 400 to less

than 800 meters issued as a result of this

sale is 5 years. If the lessee spuds a well

within the 5-year primary term of the

lease, the lessee will earn an additional

3 years, resulting in an 8-year primary

term. To earn the 8-year primary term,

the lessee is required to submit a letter

to the BOEM GOM Regional Supervisor,

Office of Leasing and Plans, as soon as

practicable, but no more than 30 days

after spudding a well, providing the

well number and spud date, and

requesting confirmation that the lessee

earned the 8-year extended primary

term. Within 30 days of receipt of the

request, the BOEM GOM Regional

Supervisor for Leasing and Plans will

provide written confirmation of whether

the lessee has earned the extended

primary term and accordingly update

BOEM’s records. The extended primary

term is not effective unless and until the

lessee receives confirmation from

BOEM.

(3) The primary term for a lease in

water depths 800 meters or deeper

issued as a result of this sale is 10 years.

Economic Conditions

Minimum Bonus Bid Amounts

BOEM will not accept a bonus bid

unless it provides for a cash bonus in an

amount equal to, or exceeding, the

specified minimum bid, as described

below.

•$25 per acre or fraction thereof for

blocks in water depths less than 400

meters; and

•$100 per acre or fraction thereof for

blocks in water depths 400 meters or

deeper.

Rental Rates

Annual rental rates are summarized in

the following table:

R

ENTAL

R

ATES PER

A

CRE OR

F

RACTION

T

HEREOF

Water depth

(meters) Years 1–5 Years 6, 7, & 8+

0 to <200 ................................................................................................................................................. $7 $14, $21, & $28.

200 to <400 ............................................................................................................................................. 11 $22, $33, & $44.

400+ ........................................................................................................................................................ 11 $16.

Escalating Rental Rates for Leases With

an 8-Year Primary Term in Water

Depths Less Than 400 Meters

Any lessee with a lease in less than

400 meters water depth who earns an 8-

year primary term will pay an escalating

rental rate as shown above. The rental

rates after the fifth year for blocks in less

than 400 meters water depth will

become fixed and no longer escalate if

another well is spudded targeting

hydrocarbons below 25,000 feet TVDSS

after the fifth year of the lease, and

BOEM concurs that such a well has

been spudded. In this case, the rental

rate will become fixed at the rental rate

in effect during the lease year in which

the additional well was spudded.

Royalty Rate

•12.5 percent for leases situated in

water depths less than 200 meters; and

•18.75 percent for leases situated in

water depths of 200 meters and deeper.

Minimum Royalty Rate

•$7 per acre or fraction thereof per

year for blocks in water depths less than

200 meters; and

•$11 per acre or fraction thereof per

year for blocks in water depths 200

meters or deeper.

Royalty Suspension Provisions

The issuance of leases with Royalty

Suspension Volumes (RSVs) or other

forms of royalty relief is authorized

under existing BOEM regulations at 30

CFR part 560. The specific details

relating to eligibility and

implementation of the various royalty

relief programs, including those

involving the use of RSVs, are codified

in Bureau of Safety and Environmental

Enforcement (BSEE) regulations at 30

CFR part 203. In this sale, the only

royalty relief program being offered that

involves the provision of RSVs relates to

the drilling of ultra-deep wells in water

depths of less than 400 meters, as

described in the following section.

Royalty Suspension Volumes on Gas

Production From Ultra-Deep Wells

Pursuant to 30 CFR part 203, certain

leases issued as a result of this sale may

be eligible for RSV incentives on gas

produced from ultra-deep wells. Under

this program, wells on leases in less

than 400 meters water depth and

completed to a drilling depth of 20,000

feet TVDSS or deeper receive an RSV of

35 billion cubic feet on the production

of natural gas. This RSV incentive is

subject to applicable price thresholds

set forth in the regulations at 30 CFR

part 203. These regulations implement

the requirements of the Energy Policy

Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109–58, 119 stat.

594 (2005)).

IV. Lease Stipulations

One or more of the stipulations below

may be applied to leases issued as a

result of this sale. The applicable blocks

for each stipulation are identified on the

map ‘‘Final Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas

Lease Sale 257, November 2021,

Stipulations and Deferred Blocks’’

included in the Final NOS package. The

full text of the following stipulations is

contained in the ‘‘Lease Stipulations’’

section of the Final NOS package.

(1) Military Areas

(2) Evacuation

(3) Coordination

(4) Protected Species

(5) Topographic Features

(6) United Nations Convention on the

Law of the Sea Royalty Payment

(7) Agreement between the United

States of America and the United

Mexican States Concerning

Transboundary Hydrocarbon

Reservoirs in the Gulf of Mexico

(8) Live Bottom

(9) Blocks South of Baldwin County,

Alabama

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(10) Restrictions due to Rights-of-Use

and Easement for Floating

Production Facilities

V. Information to Lessees

Information to Lessees (ITLs) provide

detailed information on certain issues

pertaining to specific oil and gas lease

sales. The full text of the ITLs for this

sale is contained in the ‘‘Information to

Lessees’’ section of the Final NOS

package and covers the following topics.

(1) Navigation Safety

(2) Ordnance Disposal Areas

(3) Existing and Proposed Artificial

Reefs/Rigs-to-Reefs

(4) Lightering Zones

(5) Indicated Hydrocarbons List

(6) Military Areas

(7) Bureau of Safety and Environmental

Enforcement Inspection and

Enforcement of Certain U.S. Coast

Guard Regulations

(8) Significant Outer Continental Shelf

Sediment Resource Areas

(9) Notice of Arrival on the Outer

Continental Shelf

(10) Bidder/Lessee Notice of Obligations

Related to Criminal/Civil Charges

and Offenses, Suspension, or

Debarment; Disqualification Due to

a Conviction under the Clean Air

Act or the Clean Water Act

(11) Protected Species

(12) Expansion of the Flower Garden

Banks National Marine Sanctuary

(13) Communication Towers

(14) Deepwater Port Applications for

Offshore Oil and Liquefied Natural

Gas Facilities

(15) Ocean Dredged Material Disposal

Sites

(16) Rights-of-Use and Easement

(17) Industrial Waste Disposal Areas

(18) Gulf Islands National Seashore

(19) Air Quality Permit/Plan Approvals

(20) Provisions Pertaining to Certain

Transactions by Foreign Persons

Involving Real Estate in the United

States

VI. Maps

The maps pertaining to this lease sale

can be viewed on BOEM’s website at

http://www.boem.gov/Sale-257. The

following maps also are included in the

Final NOS package:

Lease Terms and Economic Conditions

Map

The lease terms and economic

conditions associated with leases of

certain blocks are shown on the map

entitled, ‘‘Final Gulf of Mexico Oil and

Gas Lease Sale 257, November 2021,

Lease Terms and Economic

Conditions.’’

Stipulations and Deferred Blocks Map

The lease stipulations and the blocks

to which they apply are shown on the

map entitled, ‘‘Final Gulf of Mexico Oil

and Gas Lease Sale 257, November

2021, Stipulations and Deferred Blocks

Map.’’

VII. Bidding Instructions

Bids may be submitted BY MAIL

ONLY through any parcel delivery

service (e.g., FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL) at

the address below in the ‘‘Mailed Bids’’

section. Bidders should be aware that

BOEM has eliminated in-person bidding

for Lease Sale 257. Instructions on how

to submit a bid, secure payment of the

advance bonus bid deposit (if

applicable), and the information to be

included with the bid are as follows:

Bid Form

For each block bid upon, a separate

sealed bid must be submitted in a sealed

envelope (as described below) and

include the following items:

•Total amount of the bid in whole

dollars only;

•Sale number;

•Sale date;

•Each bidder’s exact name;

•Each bidder’s proportionate

interest, stated as a percentage, using a

maximum of five decimal places (e.g.,

33.33333 percent);

•Typed name and title, and signature

of each bidder’s authorized officer.

Electronic signatures are acceptable.

The typed name, title, and signature

must agree exactly with the name and

title on file in the BOEM Gulf of Mexico

OCS Region Adjudication Section;

•Each bidder’s BOEM qualification

number;

•Map name and number or OPD

name and number;

•Block number; and

•Statement acknowledging that the

bidder(s) understands that this bid

legally binds the bidder(s) to comply

with all applicable regulations,

including the requirement to post a

deposit in the amount of one-fifth of the

bonus bid amount for any tract bid upon

and make payment of the balance of the

bonus bid and first year’s rental upon

BOEM’s acceptance of high bids.

The information required for each bid

is specified in the document ‘‘Bid

Form’’ that is available in the Final NOS

package which can be found at http://

www.boem.gov/Sale-257/. A blank bid

form is provided in the Final NOS

package for convenience and can be

copied and completed with the

necessary information described above.

Bid Envelope

Each bid must be submitted in a

separate sealed envelope labeled as

follows:

•‘‘Sealed Bid for GOM Lease Sale

257, not to be opened until 9 a.m.

Wednesday, November 17, 2021’’;

•Map name and number or OPD

name and number;

•Block number for block bid upon;

•Acreage, if the bid is for a block that

is split between the Central and Eastern

Planning Areas; and

•The exact name and qualification

number of the submitting bidder only.

The Final NOS package includes a

sample bid envelope for reference.

Mailed Bids

Please address the envelope

containing the sealed bid envelope(s) as

follows:

Attention: Leasing and Financial

Responsibility Section

BOEM New Orleans Office

1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard MS–

266A

New Orleans, Louisiana 70123–2394

Contains Sealed Bids for GOM Lease

Sale 257

Please Deliver to Mr. Greg Purvis or Ms.

Kathy Luckado

2nd Floor, Immediately

Please Note: Bidders are advised to

inform BOEM by email at

BOEMGOMRLeaseSales@boem.gov

immediately after placing bid(s) in the

mail. This provides advance notice to

BOEM regarding pending bids prior to

the bid submission deadline. In the

email, please state the tracking number

of the bid package, the number of bids

being submitted, and the email address

of the person who should receive the

bid receipt for signature. If BOEM

receives bids later than the bid

submission deadline, the BOEM GOM

Regional Director (RD) will return those

bids unopened to bidders. Please see

‘‘Section XI. Delay of Sale’’ regarding

BOEM’s discretion to extend the Bid

Submission Deadline in the case of an

unexpected event (e.g., flooding) and

how bidders can obtain more

information on such extensions.

Advance Bonus Bid Deposit Guarantee

Bidders that are not currently an OCS

oil and gas lease record title holder or

designated operator, or those that have

ever defaulted on a one-fifth bonus bid

deposit, must guarantee (secure) the

payment of the one-fifth bonus bid

deposit, by Electronic Funds Transfer

(EFT) or otherwise, prior to bid

submission using one of the following

four methods:

•Provide a third-party guarantee;

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•Amend a development stage area-

wide bond via bond rider;

•Provide a letter of credit; or

•Provide a lump sum payment in

advance via EFT.

Please provide, at the time of bid

submittal, a confirmation or tracking

number for the payment, the name of

the company submitting the payment as

it appears on the payment, and the date

the payment was submitted so BOEM

can confirm payment with the Office of

Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR).

Submitting payment to the bidders’

financial institution at least five

business days prior to bid submittal

helps ensure that the Office of Foreign

Assets Control and the U.S. Department

of the Treasury (U.S. Treasury) have the

needed time to screen and process

payments so they are posted to ONRR

prior to placing the bid. ONRR cannot

confirm payment until the monies have

been moved into settlement status by

the U.S. Treasury. Bids will not be

accepted if BOEM cannot confirm

payment with ONRR.

If providing a third-party guarantee,

amending a development stage area-

wide bond via bond rider, or providing

a letter of credit to secure your one-fifth

bonus bid deposit, bidders are urged to

file these documents with BOEM, well

in advance of submitting the bid, to

allow processing time and for bidders to

take any necessary curative actions prior

to bid submission. For more information

on EFT procedures, see Section X of this

document entitled, ‘‘The Lease Sale.’’

Affirmative Action

Prior to bidding, each bidder should

file the Equal Opportunity Affirmative

Action Representation Form BOEM–

2032 (February 2020, available on

BOEM’s website at http://

www.boem.gov/BOEM-2032/) and Equal

Opportunity Compliance Report

Certification Form BOEM–2033

(February 2020, available on BOEM’s

website at http://www.boem.gov/BOEM-

2033/) with the BOEM GOM

Adjudication Section. This certification

is required by 41 CFR part 60 and

Executive Order (E.O.) 11246, issued

September 24, 1965, as amended by E.O.

11375, issued October 13, 1967, and by

E.O. 13672, issued July 21, 2014. Both

forms must be on file for the bidder(s)

in the GOM Adjudication Section prior

to the execution of any lease contract.

Geophysical Data and Information

Statement (GDIS)

The GDIS is composed of three parts:

(1) A ‘‘Statement’’ page that includes

the company representatives’

information and separate lists of blocks

bid on that used proprietary data and

those blocks bid upon that did not use

proprietary data;

(2) A ‘‘Table’’ listing the required data

about each proprietary survey used (see

below); and

(3) ‘‘Maps,’’ which contain the live

trace maps for each proprietary survey

that is identified in the GDIS statement

and table.

Every bidder submitting a bid on a

block in GOM Lease Sale 257 or

participating as a joint bidder in such a

bid, must submit at the time of bid

submission all three parts of the GDIS.

A bidder must submit the GDIS even if

a joint bidder or bidders on a specific

block also have submitted a GDIS. Any

speculative data that has been

reprocessed externally or ‘‘in-house’’ is

considered proprietary due to the

proprietary processing and is no longer

considered to be speculative.

The bidder or bidders must submit

the GDIS in a separate and sealed

envelope and must identify all

proprietary data; reprocessed

speculative data, and/or any Controlled

Source Electromagnetic surveys,

Amplitude Versus Offset (AVO) data,

gravity data, and/or magnetic data; or

other information used as part of the

decision to bid or participate in a bid on

the block. The bidder and joint bidder

must also include a live trace map (e.g.,

.pdf and ArcGIS shapefile) for each

proprietary survey identified in the

GDIS illustrating the actual areal extent

of the proprietary geophysical data in

the survey (see the ‘‘Example of

Preferred Format’’ that is included in

the Final NOS package for additional

information). The shape file must not

include cultural resources information;

only the live trace map of the survey

itself.

The GDIS statement must include the

name, phone number, and full address

for a contact person and an alternate,

who are both knowledgeable about the

geophysical information and data listed

and who are available for 30 days after

the sale date. The GDIS statement must

also include a list of all blocks bid upon

that did not use proprietary or

reprocessed pre- or post-stack

geophysical data and information, as

part of the decision to bid or to

participate as a joint bidder in the bid.

Bidders must submit the GDIS statement

even if no proprietary geophysical data

and information were used in bid

preparation for the block.

An example of the preferred format of

the table is included in the Final NOS

package, and a blank digital version of

the preferred table can be accessed on

the GOM Lease Sale 257 web page at

http://www.boem.gov/Sale-257/. The

GDIS table should have columns that

clearly state the following:

•The sale number;

•The bidder company’s name;

•The joint bidder’s company’s name

(if applicable);

•The company providing Proprietary

Data to BOEM;

•The block area and block number

bid upon;

•The owner of the original data set

(i.e., who initially acquired the data);

•The industry’s original name of the

survey (e.g., E Octopus);

•The BOEM permit number for the

survey;

•Whether the data set is a fast-track

version;

•Whether the data is speculative or

proprietary;

•The data type (e.g., 2–D, 3–D, or 4–

D; pre-stack or post-stack; time or

depth);

•The migration algorithm (e.g.,

Kirchhoff migration, wave equation

migration, reverse migration, reverse

time migration) of the data and areal

extent of bidder survey (i.e., number of

line miles for 2–D or number of blocks

for 3–D);

•The live proprietary survey

coverage (2–D miles 3–D blocks);

•The computer storage size, to the

nearest gigabyte, of each seismic data

and velocity volume used to evaluate

the lease block;

•Who reprocessed the data;

•Date the final reprocessing was

completed (month and year);

•If data were previously sent to

BOEM, list the sale number and date of

the sale for which it was used;

•Whether proprietary or speculative

AVO/AVA (PROP/SPEC) was used;

•Date AVO or AVA was sent to

BOEM if sent prior to the sale;

•Whether AVO/AVA is time or

depth (PSTM or PSDM);

•Which angled stacks were used

(e.g., NEAR, MID, FAR, ULTRAFAR);

•Whether the company used Gathers

to evaluate the block in question; and

•Whether the company used Vector

Offset Output (VOO) or Vector Image

Partitions (VIP) to evaluate the block in

question.

BOEM will use the computer storage

size information to estimate the

reproduction costs for each data set, if

applicable. BOEM will determine the

availability of reimbursement of

production costs consistent with 30 CFR

551.13.

BOEM reserves the right to inquire

about alternate data sets, to perform

quality checks, and to compare the

listed and alternative data sets to

determine which data set most closely

meets the needs of the fair market value

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determination process. See the

‘‘Example of Preferred Format’’ that is

included in the Final NOS package.

The GDIS maps are live trace maps

(e.g., .pdf and ArcGIS shapefiles) that

bidders should submit for each

proprietary survey identified in the

GDIS table. The maps should illustrate

the actual areal extent of the proprietary

geophysical data in the survey (see the

‘‘Example of Preferred Format’’ that is

included in the Final NOS package for

additional information). As previously

stated, the shapefile must not include

cultural resources information, only the

live trace map of the survey itself.

Pursuant to 30 CFR 551.12 and 30

CFR 556.501, as a condition of the sale,

the BOEM GOM Regional Director

requests that all bidders and joint

bidders submit the proprietary data

identified on their GDIS within 30 days

after the lease sale (unless notified after

the lease sale that BOEM has withdrawn

the request). This request only pertains

to proprietary data that is not

commercially available. Commercially

available data should not be submitted

to BOEM unless specifically requested

by BOEM. No reimbursement will be

provided for unsolicited data sent to

BOEM. The BOEM GOM RD will notify

bidders and joint bidders of any

withdrawal of the request, for all or

some of the proprietary data identified

on the GDIS, within 15 days of the lease

sale. Where the BOEM GOM RD has

notified bidders and joint bidders that

the request for such proprietary data has

been withdrawn, reimbursement will

not be provided. Pursuant to 30 CFR

part 551 and 30 CFR 556.501, as a

condition of this sale, all bidders that

are required to submit data must ensure

that the data are received by BOEM no

later than the 30th day following the

lease sale, or the next business day if the

submission deadline falls on a weekend

or Federal holiday.

The data must be submitted to BOEM

at the following address: Bureau of

Ocean Energy Management, Resource

Studies, GM 881A, 1201 Elmwood Park

Blvd., New Orleans, Louisiana 70123–

2304.

BOEM recommends that bidders mark

the submission’s external envelope as

‘‘Deliver Immediately to DASPU.’’

BOEM also recommends that bidders

submit the data in an internal envelope,

or otherwise marked, with the following

designation: ‘‘Geophysical Data and

Information Statement for Oil and Gas

Lease Sale 257’’, Company Name, GOM

Company Qualification Number, and

‘‘Proprietary Data.’’

In the event a person supplies any

type of data to BOEM, that person must

meet the following requirements to

qualify for reimbursement:

(1) Must be registered with the System

for Award Management (SAM), formerly

known as the Central Contractor

Registration (CCR). CCR usernames will

not work in SAM. A new SAM user

account is needed to register or update

an entity’s records. The website for

registering is gsa.gov/iaesystems.

(2) Must be enrolled in the U.S.

Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform

(IPP) for electronic invoicing; to enroll

go to https://www.ipp.gov/. Access then

will be granted to use the IPP for

submitting requests for payment. When

submitting a request for payment, the

assigned Purchase Order Number must

be included.

(3) Must have a current On-line

Representations and Certifications

Application at gsa.gov/iaesystems.

Please Note: Digital copies and

duplicate hardcopies should be

submitted for the GDIS Statement, Table

and Maps. The GDIS Statement should

be sent in as a digital PDF. The GDIS

Information Table must be submitted

digitally as an Excel spreadsheet. The

Proprietary Maps should be sent in as

PDF files and the live trace outline of

each proprietary survey should also be

submitted as a shapefile. Please flatten

all layered PDF files, since layered PDFs

can have many objects. Layered PDFs

can cause problems opening or printing

the file correctly. Bidders may submit

the digital files on a CD, DVD, or any

USB external drive (formatted for

Windows). If bidders have any

questions, please contact Ms. Dee Smith

at (504) 736–2706, or Ms. Teree

Campbell at (504) 736–3231.

Bidders should refer to Section X of

this document, ‘‘The Lease Sale:

Acceptance, Rejection, or Return of

Bids,’’ regarding a bidder’s failure to

comply with the requirements of the

Final NOS, including any failure to

submit information as required in the

Final NOS or Final NOS package.

Telephone Numbers/Addresses of

Bidders

BOEM requests that bidders provide

this information in the suggested format

prior to or at the time of bid submission.

The suggested format is included in the

Final NOS package. The form must not

be enclosed inside the sealed bid

envelope.

Additional Documentation

BOEM may require bidders to submit

other documents in accordance with 30

CFR 556.107, 30 CFR 556.401, 30 CFR

556.501, and 30 CFR 556.513.

VIII. Bidding Rules and Restrictions

Restricted Joint Bidders

On April 26, 2021, BOEM published

the most recent List of Restricted Joint

Bidders in the Federal Register at 86 FR

22067. Potential bidders are advised to

refer to the Federal Register prior to

bidding for the most current List of

Restricted Joint Bidders in place at the

time of the lease sale. Please refer to the

joint bidding provisions at 30 CFR

556.511–556.515.

Authorized Signatures

All signatories executing documents

on behalf of the bidder(s) must execute

the same in conformance with the

BOEM qualification records. Bidders are

advised that BOEM considers the signed

bid to be a legally binding obligation on

the part of the bidder(s) to comply with

all applicable regulations, including that

requiring payment of one-fifth of the

bonus bid on all high bids. A statement

to this effect is included on each bid

form (see the document ‘‘Bid Form’’ that

is included in the Final NOS package).

Unlawful Combination or Intimidation

BOEM warns bidders against violation

of 18 U.S.C. 1860, which prohibits

unlawful combination or intimidation of

bidders.

Bid Withdrawal

Bids may be withdrawn only by

written request delivered to BOEM prior

to the bid submission deadline via any

parcel delivery service. Withdrawals

will not be accepted in person or via

email. The withdrawal request must be

on company letterhead and must

contain the bidder’s name, its BOEM

qualification number, the map name/

number, and the block number(s) of the

bid(s) to be withdrawn. The withdrawal

request must be executed by one or

more of the representatives named in

the BOEM qualification records. The

name and title of the authorized

signatory must be typed under the

signature block on the withdrawal

request. The BOEM GOM RD, or the

RD’s designee, will indicate approval by

signing and dating the withdrawal

request.

Bid Rounding

Minimum bonus bid calculations,

including rounding, for all blocks are

shown in the document ‘‘List of Blocks

Available for Leasing’’ included in the

Final NOS package. The bonus bid

amount must be stated in whole dollars.

If the acreage of a block contains a

decimal figure, then prior to calculating

the minimum bonus bid, BOEM will

round up to the next whole acre. The

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appropriate minimum rate per acre will

be applied to the whole (rounded up)

acreage. The bonus bid amount must be

greater than or equal to the minimum

bonus bid, as calculated and stated in

the Final NOS package.

IX. Forms

The Final NOS package includes

instructions, samples, and/or the

preferred format for the items listed

below. BOEM strongly encourages

bidders to use the recommended

formats. If bidders use another format,

they are responsible for including all the

information specified for each item in

the Final NOS package.

(1) Bid Form

(2) Sample Completed Bid

(3) Sample Bid Envelope

(4) Sample Bid Mailing Envelope

(5) Telephone Numbers/Addresses of

Bidders Form

(6) GDIS Form

(7) GDIS Envelope Form

X. The Lease Sale

Bid Opening and Reading

Sealed bids received in response to

the Final NOS will be opened at the

place, date, and hour specified under

the

DATES

and

ADDRESSES

sections of the

Final NOS. The venue will not be open

to the public. Instead, the bid opening

will be available for the public to view

on BOEM’s website at www.boem.gov

via live streaming. The opening of the

bids is for the sole purpose of publicly

announcing and recording the bids

received; no bids will be accepted or

rejected at that time.

Bonus Bid Deposit for Apparent High

Bids

Each bidder submitting an apparent

high bid must submit a bonus bid

deposit to ONRR equal to one-fifth of

the bonus bid amount for each such bid.

A copy of the notification of the high

bidder’s one-fifth bonus bid amount can

be obtained on the BOEM website at

http://www.boem.gov/Sale-257/ under

the heading ‘‘Notification of EFT

1

⁄

5

Bonus Liability’’ after 1:00 p.m. on the

day of the sale. All payments must be

electronically deposited into an interest-

bearing account in the U.S. Treasury by

1:00 p.m. Eastern Time the day

following the bid reading (no

exceptions). Account information is

provided in the ‘‘Instructions for

Making Electronic Funds Transfer

Bonus Payments’’ found on the BOEM

website identified above.

Submitting payment to your financial

institution as soon as possible the day

of bid reading, but no later than 7:00

p.m. Eastern Time the day of bid

reading, will help ensure that deposits

have time to process through the U.S.

Treasury and post to ONRR. ONRR

cannot confirm payment until the

monies have been moved into

settlement status by the U.S. Treasury.

BOEM requires bidders to use EFT

procedures for payment of one-fifth

bonus bid deposits for GOM Lease Sale

257, following the detailed instructions

contained on the ONRR Payment

Information web page at https://

www.onrr.gov/ReportPay/

payments.htm. Acceptance of a deposit

does not constitute, and will not be

construed as, acceptance of any bid on

behalf of the United States.

Withdrawal of Blocks

The United States reserves the right to

withdraw any block from this lease sale

prior to issuance of a written acceptance

of a bid for the block.

Acceptance, Rejection, or Return of Bids

The United States reserves the right to

reject any and all bids, regardless of the

amount offered. Furthermore, no bid

will be accepted, and no lease for any

block will be awarded to any bidder,

unless:

(1) The bidder has complied with all

applicable regulations and

requirements of the Final NOS,

including those set forth in the

documents contained in the Final

NOS package;

(2) The bid is the highest valid bid; and

(3) The amount of the bid has been

determined to be adequate by the

authorized officer.

Any bid submitted that does not

conform to the requirements of the Final

NOS and Final NOS package, OCSLA,

or other applicable statute or regulation

will be rejected and returned to the

bidder. The United States Department of

Justice and the Federal Trade

Commission will review the results of

the lease sale for any antitrust issues

prior to the acceptance of bids and

issuance of leases.

Bid Adequacy Review Procedures for

GOM Lease Sale 257

To ensure that the U.S. Government

receives fair market value for the

conveyance of leases from this sale,

BOEM will evaluate high bids in

accordance with its bid adequacy

procedures, which are available on

BOEM’s website at http://

www.boem.gov/Oil-and-Gas-Energy-

Program/Leasing/Regional-Leasing/

Gulf-of-Mexico-Region/Bid-Adequacy-

Procedures.aspx.

Lease Award

BOEM requires each bidder awarded

a lease to complete the following:

(1) Execute all copies of the lease

(Form BOEM–2005 [February 2017], as

amended);

(2) Pay by EFT the balance of the

bonus bid amount and the first year’s

rental for each lease issued in

accordance with the requirements of 30

CFR 218.155 and 556.520(a); and

(3) Satisfy the bonding requirements

of 30 CFR part 556, subpart I, as

amended.

ONRR requests that only one

transaction be used for payment of the

balance of the bonus bid amount and

the first year’s rental. Once ONRR

receives such payment, the bidder

awarded the lease may not request a

refund of the balance of the bonus bid

amount or first year’s rental payment.

XI. Delay of Sale

The BOEM GOM RD has the

discretion to change any date, time,

and/or location specified in the Final

NOS package in the case of an event that

the BOEM GOM RD deems could

interfere with a fair and orderly lease

sale process. Such events could include,

but are not limited to, natural disasters

(e.g., earthquakes, hurricanes, floods),

wars, riots, acts of terrorism, fires,

strikes, civil disorder, or other events of

a similar nature. In case of such events,

bidders should call (504) 736–0557, or

access the BOEM website at http://

www.boem.gov, for information

regarding any changes.

Amanda B. Lefton,

Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy

Management.

[FR Doc. 2021–21682 Filed 9–30–21; 12:30 pm]

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

National Institute on Corrections

Re-Establishment of Federal Advisory

Committee

AGENCY

: National Institute of

Corrections, Department of Justice.

SUMMARY

: Under the provisions of the

Federal Advisory Committee Act of

1972, the Government in the Sunshine

Act of 1976, the National Institute of

Corrections (NIC) gives notice that it is

re-establishing the charter for the

National Institute of Corrections

Advisory Board (hereafter referred to as

‘‘the Board’’).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

:

Shaina Vanek, Advisory Board

Designated Federal Officer for the

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