Federal Register #2026-12985

Award of Letters of Authorization for Marine Mammal Incidental Take During Geophysical Surveys in the Gulf of America

This award notice details the issuance of Letters of Authorization (LOAs) by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), part of NOAA under the Department of Commerce, for geophysical survey activities in the Gulf of America. - Government Buyer: - National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Department of Commerce - Sub-agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - Office: Office of Protected Resources - Awardee: - TGS (recipient of LOAs for survey activities) - Services Requested: - Three-dimensional (3D) ocean-bottom node (OBN) geophysical surveys across multiple lease blocks in the Gulf of America - Surveys utilize two independent source vessels: - One vessel with three 5,200-cubic-inch conventional airgun sources - One vessel with a Gemini low-frequency airgun array using the Seismic Apparition method - Survey areas include Viosca Knoll, Mississippi Canyon, De Soto Canyon, Atwater Valley, East Breaks, Alaminos Canyon, Keathley Canyon, and Garden Banks - Total coverage: hundreds of lease blocks, with specific quantities per survey (e.g., 135, 90, 107 days of operation) - Unique/Notable Requirements: - Authorization granted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) - Includes mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements to ensure negligible impact on marine mammal species and stocks - Authorized incidental take of specific marine mammal species (e.g., Rice's whale, dolphins, beaked whales, pilot whales) - No specific OEMs or equipment manufacturers are named in the notice - OEMs: - No OEMs explicitly identified; airgun sources and Gemini arrays referenced as equipment types - Vendors: - TGS (recipient of LOAs) - Period of Performance: - LOAs effective for approximately one year, with survey operations spanning 140 to 180 days within this period - No product line items specified; services are geophysical survey activities with mitigation and monitoring components.

Description

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued three Letters of Authorization (LOAs) to TGS for the incidental take of marine mammals during geophysical survey activities related to oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of America (GOA). One LOA is effective from August 15, 2026, through August 15, 2027, and the other two are effective from September 1, 2026, through September 1, 2027. The surveys involve the use of airgun sources on two independent vessels conducting a 3D ocean-bottom node survey over 200 lease blocks in various protraction areas with water depths ranging from 50 to 2,100 meters. The authorization is granted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) with conditions to ensure negligible impact on marine mammal species and stocks.

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