Shallow gas leasing packages out

Petroleum News Alaska Staff

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Oil and Gas made applications available for its non-competitive shallow natural gas leasing program on Jan. 26.

Applications will be accepted beginning Feb. 29 at 8:30 a.m. and will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis in the order they are received. All applications received before Feb. 29 will be deemed to have been received at 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 29.

The application process is expected to take approximately 170 days from the day the application is filed, if there is no appeal of the final benefit determination by any party.

After an application is filed, a public notice of the application will be published in newspapers by day 20 after the filing and the 60-day public comment period will begin. Preliminary benefit determinations, indicating whether or not a lease is to be issued, and providing the applicant an opportunity to comment, will be sent out on approximately day 95 after the filing and a final benefit determination, indicating whether or not a lease will be issued and providing instructions to appeal will be sent out approximately 110 days after filing.

If a lease is to be issued, mailing of an award notice is expected at approximately 120 days from filing and if there is no appeal of the final benefit determination a lease will be executed and issued by the state or the application will be rejected and closed at approximately day 170 from filing.

Lease applications and instructions are available from the Division of Oil and Gas, 550 W. 7th Ave. Ste. 800, Anchorage, AK 99501-3560.