This part prescribes regulations implementing the provisions of section 417 of Public Law 108-293, which grants the Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Maritime Administrator, the authority to review and approve applications for determination of availability of coastwise-qualified vessels. Owners or operators of proposed platform jackets may submit information regarding a specific platform jacket transport, placement and/or launch project, following the procedures set forth in this regulation, in order for the Maritime Administration to determine whether a suitable coastwise-qualified vessel is available for the project. If the agency determines that a project owner has registered as required herein and sought in good faith to meet its transportation needs using U.S. flag vessels in compliance with the Jones Act, and that a suitable coastwise qualified vessel is not available, then a foreign launch barge may be used.

For the purposes of this part:

Administrator means the Maritime Administrator.

Applicant means the offshore development person, entity, or company as identified to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement in its Development Production Plan (DPP) or Development Operations Coordination Document (DOCD), which has applied to the Maritime Administration for a waiver.

Classed as a launch barge by a recognized classification Society means that the vessel holds a current classification document to be used as a launch barge by at least one of the following classification societies: American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Bureau Veritas (BV), Lloyd's Register (LR), Germanischer Lloyd (GL), Det Norske Veritas (DNV) or Registro Italiano Navale (RINA).

Coastwise-qualified vessel means a vessel that has been issued a certificate of documentation with a coastwise endorsement under 46 U.S.C. 12112.

Coastwise Trade Laws include:

(1) The Coastwise Endorsement Provision of the Vessel Documentation Laws (46 U.S.C. 12112);

(2) The Passenger Vessel Services Act, section 8 of the Act of June 19, 1886 (46 U.S.C. 55103);

(3) The Jones Act, section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (46 U.S.C. 55102); and

(4) Section 2(c) of the Shipping Act of 1916 (46 U.S.C. 50501).

Foreign launch barge, for the purpose of this part, means a non-coastwise-qualified launch barge that was built before December 31, 2000, and has a launch capacity of 12,000 long tons or more.

Launch barge means a vessel that is technically capable of transporting and, if needed, launching or installing an offshore drilling or production platform jacket, provided that a coastwise-qualified vessel may meet this definition even if it is not capable of launching such a platform jacket, and even if it requires the involvement of one or more other vessels in connection with the installation of such a platform jacket.

A long ton equals 2,240 pounds.

Platform jacket refers to a single physical component and includes any type of offshore exploration, development, or production structure or component thereof, including platform jackets, tension leg, or SPAR platform superstructures (including the deck, drilling rig and support utilities, and supporting structure), hull (including vertical legs and connecting pontoons or vertical cylinder), tower and base sections of a platform jacket, jacket structures, and deck modules (known as “topsides”).

Secretary means the Secretary of the Maritime Administration.

In order to provide timely notification and to identify potential participants to each other so they may examine how they can best work together to maximize use of coastwise-qualified vessels, the Maritime Administration will require early notification as outlined in this section.

(a) Registration of coastwise-qualified vessel for platform jacket transportation. In January of each calendar year, the Maritime Administration will publish a notice in the Federal Register requesting that owners or operators or potential owners or operators of coastwise-qualified launch barges, or other interested parties notify the agency of:

(1) Their interest in participating in the transportation and, if needed, the launching or installation of offshore platform jackets;

(2) Provide the agency with their contact information; and,

(3) Provide specifications of any currently owned or operated coastwise-qualified launch barges or plans to construct same.

(b) Registration requirement for transportation of platform jackets when non-coastwise-qualified vessels may be required. When a current or potential owner or operator of any type of offshore exploration, development, or production structure expects to require the use of a non-coastwise-qualified vessel in the transportation of a platform jacket it must notify the Maritime Administration. Such notification must be on the earlier of either:

(1) The date of filing of the Development and Production Plan (DPP) or Development Operations Coordination Document (DOCD) with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement as required by 30 CFR 250.201; or

(2) A date not later than twenty-one (21) months before the proposed date of using a non-coastwise qualified vessel for transportation of a platform jacket.

(c) The early notification information to be provided to the Maritime Administration by a platform owner or operator shall include:

(1) A summary of technical details of the platform jacket to be transported and, if needed, launched or installed;

(2) The projected physical specification of a suitable vessel to be used in the project;

(3) The projected time period, and load and destination sites, for the platform jacket transportation; and

(4) Full contact information for the applicant and its representatives having decision-making authority with respect to the utilization of vessels for transportation and, if needed, the launching or installation of a platform jacket.

(d) The information in paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this section must be submitted either electronically to [email protected] or delivered to the Secretary, Maritime Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590. Any information that is business confidential must be so identified and accompanied by a justification for that characterization.

(e) The Maritime Administration will publish a list of potential coastwise-qualified launch barge owners/operators on the agency's Web site at http://MARAD.dot.gov. The Maritime Administration will publish a summary of early notification information delineated by paragraph (c) of this section on its Web site and also disseminate it to registered potential coastwise-qualified launch barge owners/operators and other interested parties.

(a) When, after surveying the market and discussing the platform project with potential coastwise-qualified vessel owners/operators, it appears that coastwise-qualified vessels will not be available for a project, the platform jacket owner/operator may apply to the Maritime Administration for a determination of non-availability and request authority to use a foreign launch barge.

(b) A complete application must be submitted to the Secretary, Maritime Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590 at least 120 days prior to the proposed platform jacket transportation date.

(1) The Maritime Administration reserves the right to waive, reduce, or extend the time requirements based upon its evaluation of any national emergency or other relevant consideration.

(c) Applications must contain the information set forth in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section and be accompanied by a statement signed by an officer of the applicant containing the following language:

“This application is made for the purpose of inducing the United States of America to grant a determination of non-availability of a coastwise-qualified vessel as set forth in 46 U.S.C. 55108. I have carefully examined the application and all documents submitted and, to the best of my knowledge, information and belief, the statements and representations contained in said application and related documents are full, complete, accurate and true. Further, I agree to pay any fees that result from the work required by this application.

(d) The applicant must submit a non-refundable check in the amount of $500 (Five Hundred Dollars) made payable to the Maritime Administration, which is a minimum fee and represents a deposit against any cost to the Government for processing the application. The applicant must also submit a signed statement (see paragraph (c) of this section) that it agrees to pay all such additional costs that will be invoiced by the Government. Government costs will be billed for actual staff hours spent at applicable hourly rates plus overhead, administrative and other associated costs.

(e) Required platform jacket transportation project information. (1) Applications must include a general description of the transport, placement and/or launch project, including:

(i) A description of the platform jacket structure with launching weight, center of gravity, major dimensions, and a general arrangement plan,

(ii) The projected loading date and site,

(iii) The projected transportation date and destination site,

(iv) The names of potential coastwise-qualified vessel owners/operators contacted and their responses regarding suitability and availability of transportation vessels, and

(v) The technical merits and availability studies of coastwise-qualified vessels considered.

(2) Characteristics of the applicant's desired foreign launch barge, including, at a minimum, the following information:

(i) Name of the vessel,

(ii) Registered owner of the vessel,

(iii) Physical dimensions, deadweight capacity in long tons, ballasting capacities and arrangements, and launch capacity in long tons and arrangements,

(iv) Documentation showing classification as a launch barge by one of the following classification societies: American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Bureau Veritas (BV), Lloyd's Register (LR), Germanischer Lloyd (GL), Det Norske Veritas (DNV) or Registro Italiano Navale (RINA).

(v) Date and place of construction of the foreign launch barge and (if applicable) rebuilding. If the applicant is unable to document the origin of the vessel, foreign construction will be assumed.

(vi) Name, address, e-mail address and telephone number of the foreign launch vessel owner.

(3) A signed statement that the applicant represents that the foregoing information is true to the best of the applicant's knowledge and belief, as required by paragraph (b) of this section.

(f) The Maritime Administration may require additional information from an applicant as part of the review process. The application will not be considered complete until the agency has received all required information.

(a) The Maritime Administration will review each application for completeness, including evidence of prior notification and payment of the application fee. Applications will not be processed until deemed complete. The Maritime Administration will notify an applicant if additional information is necessary. The agency encourages submission of applications well in advance of project dates in order to allow sufficient time for review under this part.

(b) The Maritime Administration will review the information required by Section 389.4. When the application is deemed complete, the agency will publish a notice in the Federal Register describing the project and platform jacket involved, advising that all relevant information reasonably necessary to assess the transportation requirements will be made available to interested parties upon request. The notice will request that information on the availability of coastwise-qualified vessels be submitted within thirty (30) days after the publication date. The Maritime Administration will also notify coastwise-qualified owners/operators who have registered with per § 389.3.

(c) The Maritime Administration will review any submissions whereby an offeror owner or operator of a coastwise-qualified vessel asserts it is available and will facilitate discussions between the offeror and a platform jacket owner/operator who requires transportation services. If the parties are unable to reach agreement, the Maritime Administration will make a determination regarding vessel availability.

(d) If needed, the Maritime Administration's technical personnel will review data required by § 389.4. The data must be complete and current. Any data submitted will not be returned to an applicant and will be retained by the agency on file further to applicable record retention directives. Maritime Administration review will not substitute for the review or approval by a major classification society (ABS, BV, LR, GL, DNV, RINA). Maritime Administration review will not verify the accuracy or correctness of an applicant's engineering proposal; rather, it will only pertain to the general reasonableness and soundness of the technical approach.

(e) The Maritime Administration will disapprove the application if:

(1) The agency finds the applicant does not comply with requirements set forth by § 389.3 or § 389.4; or

(2) The agency finds that the applicant refused to attempt to obtain transportation services that comply with the Jones Act; or

(3) The agency determines a suitable coastwise-qualified vessel is reasonably available.

(f) The Maritime Administration will issue a determination of non-availability if it is determined that no suitable coastwise-qualified vessel is reasonably available.

(g) A determination will be issued within ninety (90) days from the date the application notice was published in the Federal Register.

(h) A determination of non-availability will expire one-hundred and twenty (120) days after the date of issuance, unless the agency provides an extension for good cause shown.

(i) Maritime Administration determinations in this regard should not be interpreted as a change setting new Federal maritime precedents. The Maritime Administration fully supports the Jones Act, the Passenger Vessel Services Act, and other Federal U.S.-flag requirements.