[Federal Register: March 30, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 61)]
[Notices]
[Page 15152-15153]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30mr07-91]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[MT-030-1320-EL, MTM 94378]
Notice of Federal Competitive Coal Lease Sale, Montana
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Competitive Coal Lease Sale, lease application MTM
94378.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the United States Department of
Interior (DOI), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Montana State Office,
will offer coal reserves in the lands described below in Big Horn
County, Montana, hereinafter described as Federal coal lease
application (LBA) MTM 94378 for competitive lease by sealed bid in
accordance with the provisions for competitive lease sales in 43 CFR
part 3422.2(a), and the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended and
supplemented (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.)
DATES: The lease sale will be held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, April 17, 2007.
Sealed bids must be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested,
or be hand delivered to the address indicated below, and must be
received on or before 10 a.m., April 17, 2007.
ADDRESSES: The lease sale will be held in the BLM Montana State Office,
920 Conference Room, 5001 Southgate Drive, Billings, Montana 59101-
4669. Sealed bids clearly marked ``Sealed Bid for MTM 94378 Coal Sale--
Not to be opened before 11 a.m., Tuesday, April 17, 2007'' must be
submitted to the Cashier, BLM Montana State Office, at the address
given above. The cashier will issue a receipt for each hand delivered
sealed bid. Any bid received after the time specified will not be
considered and will be returned.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Connie Schaff, Land Law Examiner, or
Rebecca Spurgin, Coal Coordinator, at 406-896-5060 or 406-896-5080,
respectively.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This sale is being held in response to a LBA
filed by Spring Creek Coal Company on March 7, 2005. All coal LBAs
submitted to BLM for processing prior to November 7, 2005, are not
subject to cost recovery on a case-by-case basis (See 43 CFR
3000.10(d)(1), 70 FR 58872, October 7, 2005). The Federal coal resource
to be offered consists of all recoverable reserves in the following
described lands:
Tract 1:
T. 8 S., R. 39 E., P.M.M.
Sec. 13: SW\1/4\NW\1/4\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\NW\1/4\, SW\1/4\SE\1/
4\NW\1/4\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\SW\1/4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\SW\1/
4\SW\1/4\, SE\1/4\SE\1/4\SW\1/4\SW\1/4\, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, NW\1/
4\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, N\1/2\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\, SW\1/
4\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\
Sec. 14: Beginning at a point bearing S. 60[deg]25'06'' E.,
2299.67 feet from the section corner of sections. 10, 11, 14, and 15
and on the N-S center line of the NE\1/4\NW\1/4\ of section 14 and
at 528.30 feet southerly from the NE-NW\1/64\ section corner of
section 14; thence on the exclusion boundary line, S. 90[deg]00'00''
E., 317.70 feet; thence S. 55[deg]21'33'' E., 1741.06 feet; thence
N. 38[deg]32'16'' E., 1422.65 feet, to a point on the N-S center
line of the NE\1/4\NE\1/4\ of said section; thence northerly on the
N-S center line of the NE\1/4\NE\1/4\ of said section to the NE-
NE\1/64\ section corner of said section; thence easterly on the E-W
center line of the NE\1/4\NE\1/4\ of said section to the N-N\1/64\
section corner of sections 13 and 14; thence southerly on the
section line between sections 13 and 14 to the N-S-S\1/256\ section
corner of sections 13 and 14; thence westerly on the E-W center line
of the NE\1/4\SE\1/4\SE\1/4\ of section 14 to the NE-SE-SE\1/256\
section corner of said section; thence northerly on the N-S center
line of the NE\1/4\SE\1/4\SE\1/4\ of said section to the C-E-E-SE\1/
256\ section corner of said section, on the E-W center line of the
SE\1/4\ of said section; thence westerly on the E-W center line of
the SE\1/4\ of said section to the C-E-SE\1/64\ section corner of
said section; thence northerly on the N-S center line of the NE\1/
4\SE\1/4\ of said section to the C-S-NE-SE\1/256\ section corner of
said section; thence westerly on the E-W center line of the SE\1/
4\NE\1/4\SE\1/4\ of said section to the C-S-N-SE\1/256\ section
corner of said section; thence northerly on the N-S center line of
the SE\1/4\ of said section to
[[Page 15153]]
the C-E\1/16\ section corner of said section; thence westerly on the
E-W center line of said section to the C\1/4\ section corner of said
section; thence northerly on the N-S center line of said section to
the C-S-N\1/64\ section corner of said section; thence westerly on
the E-W center line of the S\1/2\ of the NW\1/4\ of said section to
the SW-NW\1/64\ section corner of said section; thence northerly on
the N-S center line of the SW\1/4\NW\1/4\ of said section to the C-
W-NW\1/64\ section corner of said section; thence easterly on the E-
W center line of the NW\1/4\ of said section to the C-E-NW\1/64\
section corner of said section; thence northerly on the N-S center
line of the NE\1/4\NW\1/4\ of said section to the point of
beginning, containing 137.70 acres, more or less.
Sec. 24: N\1/2\NE\1/4\NW\1/4\
Total: 425.2 acres
Tract 2:
T. 8 S., R. 39 E., P.M.M.
Sec. 15: W\1/2\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\SE\1/4\
Sec. 22: NE\1/4\NE\1/4\, N\1/2\NW\1/4\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/
4\NE\1/4\, NE\1/4\SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\NW\1/4\
Sec. 23: SW\1/4\SW\1/4\NW\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\N\1/2\NW\1/4\, S\1/
2\NW\1/4\
Total: 242.5 acres
Tract 3:
T.8S., R. 39E., P.M.M.
Sec. 25: SW\1/4\SW\1/4\
Sec. 26: SW\1/4\NE\1/4\NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, W\1/2\NW\1/4\NE\1/4\SW\1/
4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, S\1/2\NE\1/4\SW\1/4\, NW\1/4\SW\1/
4\, N\1/2\SE\1/4\SW\1/4\, S\1/2\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, S\1/2\SE\1/4\
Sec. 27: SW\1/4\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\SE\1/4\NE\1/4\,
NW\1/4\NE\1/4\SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, S\1/2\NE\1/4\SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, W\1/
2\SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\NE\1/4\, E\1/2\SE\1/4\NW\1/4\, N\1/
2\NE\1/4\SE\1/4\, SE\1/4\NE\1/4\SE\1/4\, NE\1/4\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\
Total: 350.0 acres
Tract 4
T. 8 S., R. 40 E., P.M.M.
Sec. 30: S\1/2\NW\1/4\SE\1/4\, S\1/2\SE\1/4\
Total: 100.0 acres
Containing approximately 1,117.700 acres in Big Horn County,
Montana.
The LBA's total recoverable coal reserves are estimated to be 108.6
million tons (averaging 79.5 feet in thickness) and the average
overburden depth is 234.2 feet.
The estimated coal quality on an as-received basis is as follows:
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BTU.................................... 9,331 BTU/lb.
Volatile Matter........................ 32.02
Fixed Carbon........................... 38.53
Moisture............................... 25.71
Sulphur Content........................ 0.35
Ash Content............................ 3.80
Sodium................................. 8.38
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The tracts will be leased to the qualified bidder of the highest
cash amount, provided that the high bid meets or exceeds the BLM's pre-
sale estimate of fair market value (FMV). No bid that is less than $100
per acre, or fraction thereof, will be considered. The DOI has
established a minimum bid of $100 per acre or fraction thereof for
Federal coal tracts. The minimum bid is not intended to represent FMV.
The FMV will be determined by the BLM after the sale. In the event
identical high sealed bids are received, the tying high bidders will be
requested to submit follow-up bids until a high bid is received. All
tie-breaking sealed-bids must be submitted within 15 minutes following
the Sale Official's announcement at the sale that identical high bids
have been received.
A lease issued as a result of this offering will provide for
payment of an annual rental of $3 per acre, or fraction thereof; and a
royalty payable to the United States of 12.5 percent of the value of
coal mined by surface methods and 8.0 percent of the value of coal
mined by underground methods. The value of the coal will be determined
in accordance with 30 CFR 206.250.
Bidding instructions for the tracts offered and the terms and
conditions of the proposed coal lease are included in the Detailed
Statement of Lease Sale. Copies of the Detailed Statement and the
proposed coal lease are available at the Montana State Office at the
address given above. Casefile MTM 94378 is available for inspection at
the Montana State Office during normal business hours at the address
above.
Dated: February 22, 2007.
Randy D. Heuscher,
Chief of Solid Minerals.
[FR Doc. E7-5883 Filed 3-29-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-DK-P