U.S. Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico OCS Region

The Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) Gulf of Mexico OCS Region (GOMR) announced a workshop to be held in New Orleans September 13 and 14, to discuss spatial data issues and reporting requirements.  Discussions will be held on issues pertaining to the referenced datum for data submitted to the MMS Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, datum conversion programs, and clarification of spatial data reporting requirements to achieve compliance with MMS regulations.  The GOMR-utilized offshore cadastre will continue to be defined on NAD 27.

Data that are submitted to the GOMR do not always contain required spatial reference information such as the survey datum, ellipsoid, projection, or the conversion routine (e.g., NADCON) used and/or reporting of the original coordinates.  To date, MMS published Notice to Lessees No. 99-G17, and a Letter To Lessees (1991) discussing the North American Datum (NAD) reporting requirements and the implementation plan for the conversion of the NAD 27 to NAD 83.

The primary objective of the workshop is to determine whether MMS needs to revise the current requirement regarding the horizontal datum used to submit data to the GOMR.  Currently, under Phase I of the NAD 83 Implementation Plan, locational data submitted to the MMS may reference either NAD 27 or NAD 83.  The Gulf of Mexico Region is considering whether to receive data exclusively in NAD 83 (Phase II of the NAD 83 Implementation Plan).  MMS is also considering whether NADCON 2.0 software or another program should be used to convert to NAD 27 from NAD 83, as well as whether GOMR should perform datum conversions in-house.  This workshop is not meant to address whether the GOMR will regrid to NAD 83.

The 1 ½-day workshop, to be held on September 13 and 14, 2000, in the MMS Gulf of Mexico OCS Region Office, 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, will provide a forum for MMS to share reporting requirements and regulations and technical information on datums and conversion programs with Gulf of Mexico OCS oil and gas industry and their service company vendors and contractors.  Speakers include representatives from the U.S. National Geodetic Survey, John Chance & Associates, and MMS.

There is no fee associated with the workshop.  For more information about the Spatial Data Workshop, please call Carla Langley at 504-736-2821 or visit the MMS website at www.gomr.mms.gov.

The MMS is the Federal agency that manages the Nation’s oil, natural gas, and other mineral resources on the OCS; and collects, accounts for, and disburses about $4 billion in yearly revenues from offshore Federal mineral leases and from onshore mineral leases on Federal and American Indian lands.

-MMS-GOM-

MMS's Website Address: http://www.mms.gov

MMS Spatial Data Workshop Agenda

Gulf of Mexico OCS Region
1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard
Room 115

There is no registration fee for this workshop; however, your early enrollment allows MMS to arrange adequate seating.

________Yes,

I will attend the September 13 and 14, 2000 meeting at the MMS GOMR Office (Room 115).  The office is located at 1201 Elmwood Park Blvd., New Orleans, LA.  An office location map is available at http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/whoismms/bldgmap.html.

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Return registration form to:
Carla Langley (MS 5020), MMS, 1201 Elmwood Park Blvd., New Orleans, LA. 70123-2394

For further information, or to register by phone, call (504) 736-2821 or FAX your registration information to (504) 736-2857.  You may also reach us by E-mail: TDMS@mms.gov.