During 2008 Open Water Seismic and Marine Survey Programs

• Main Authors: Attn James, H. Lecky
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2007
• Subjects: Soi; Chukchi
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.183.7705; http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/permits/shell_seismic_iha_2008.pdf

Shell Offshore Inc. (SOI) is planning a variety of seismic and survey programs in the Chukchi and mid- and eastern Beaufort Seas during the 2008 open water season. Collectively, these various individual programs are referred to as the “Proposed Open Water Seismic and Marine Survey Program, hereinafter referred to as the “Program ” on various U.S. Department of Interior, Minerals Management Service (MMS) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lease blocks in the Chukchi and mid- and eastern Beaufort Seas. The Program will commence during the open water season in mid July and will continue until mid November depending on ice and weather conditions. SOI and its deep sea seismic contractor WesternGeco request an Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) pursuant to Section 101 (a) (5) (D) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), 16 U.S.C. § 1371 (a) (5), to allow non-lethal takes of whales and seals incidental to offshore geophysical seismic operations. All of these individual programs, or activities, will require marine vessels to accomplish the work. Only vessels which are currently under contract to SOI, or a contractor to SOI, to conduct these various activities, at the time of this IHA application are specifically