Yes, if the State owned lands or water bottoms are unleased, a permit must be obtained from the Office of Mineral Resources(OMR).  If the State owned lands or water bottoms are leased, a permit or permission from the State lessee is needed.

Prior to conducting seismic activities in the State of Louisiana, you are responsible for and must acquire permission or permits from all applicable property owning entities and Federal, State, Parish, and Local governmental agencies having jurisdiction over seismic activities within the geographic boundaries of the area in which seismic activities are to be conducted, including private landowners, public agencies, State agencies, the State of Louisiana or the Federal government and its various agencies.

Byron Miller, Byron.Miller@la.gov, or call 225-342-7121.

This depends on your time frame and whether or not you want exclusive rights to acquire seismic data and/or state leases in your area of interest.  There is one (1) type of Non-Exclusive seismic permit and three (3) types of Exclusive geophysical agreements (EGA) available for use on state owned lands and water bottoms.

Non-Exclusive seismic permits are generally issued within fifteen (15) days of receipt of a properly completed application [Download:] and acceptable base map.  The term is for one (1) year.  OMR will continue to issue other seismic permits and accept lease nominations in the permit area.

The Exclusive geophysical agreement (EGA) issuing process usually takes three (3) to four (4) months.  The EGAs have a term of 18 months with an optional six (6) month extension.  Under an EGA, the permitee may obtain exclusive rights to acquire seismic data, nominate acreage for lease, and select acreage to be leased following seismic acquisition in the area of the EGA.

Submit two (2) copies of a properly completed Application for Non-Exclusive Seismic Permit [Download:] and acceptable base map to:

Geology Lands Administrator
Office of Mineral Resources
Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources
617 N. Third Street, 8th Floor
Baton Rouge, LA  70802

or

Geology Lands Administrator
Office of Mineral Resources
Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources
Post Office Box 2827
Baton Rouge, LA  70821-2827

The Office of Mineral Resources (OMR) Staff will verify application information and map acreages, prepare the permit, and send the permit and invoice to you for signature and payment.  Your permit becomes effective when OMR receives your signed permit and permit fee.

First, contact OMR through Mr. Byron Miller at (225) 342-7121 to set up a meeting with OMR staff for the purpose of presenting your area of interest and type of EGA being requested.  Plan to explain your survey objectives and present an acceptable base map.

OMR's staff will determine if an EGA should be granted in the area of interest and will also decide under what special conditions, if any, the EGA should be granted.  The type of EGA requested and the level of leasing activity in the area are some of the determining factors used by OMR's Staff in considering an EGA.  For example, an area experiencing leasing activity may or may not be considered appropriate for an EGA because the area would have to be taken out of commerce for a minimum of 18 months or maximum of 2 years if an EGA should be granted in the area of interest.

After the area to be nominated has been presented to OMR's Staff for review, the area will be evaluated in order to set the minimum terms for seismic fee, bonus amount, and royalty.  The applicant will then be provided with this information.  If accepted by the applicant, then these minimums will be recommended to the State Mineral and Energy Board (Board) for approval.  All information given to OMR's Staff will be held confidential, including the area to be nominated.  However, until the prospective area has been approved for nomination by the Board, seismic permitting and leasing will still be allowed within the area to be nominated.  Additionally, other parties interested in nominating the same area for one of the EGAs will similarly be met with and heard by OMR Staff.  No party will be apprized of any other party's interest in the same area.  If there are multiple parties interested in nominating the same or overlapping areas, the Board will choose which applicant will be accepted.  Approval of any area, as well as the size of the area to be nominated in an EGA, is generally determined by, but not limited to, considerations of the leasing, drilling, and exploration activities in the area, as well as the overall benefits to the State that may be derived as a result of the area being nominated.

Upon Board approval, the applicant may then apply to the OMR Leasing Section to nominate the area for the designated lease sale for public bidding.  A nomination letter, including plat and legal description of the area, with an application fee of $400.00 must be submitted according to the date schedule set by the OMR Leasing Section.  The full description, all provisions, minimum bonus, royalty, type and terms of the EGA will then be advertised, as prescribed by State law.  Generally, the process is similar to mineral leasing.

The applicant may bid for the EGA at the advertised state lease sale.  An EGA will be awarded to the winning bidder at the lease sale.

For an EGA Type II, the State will not grant any new seismic permits or agreements on, or lease the nominated acreage, or any part thereof, during the Initial Term of this seismic agreement, or the Option Term, if activated, except that a buffer zone of one-half (1/2) mile around each pre-existing lease or Operating Agreement within the nominated area will be in effect.  The buffer zone shall be open for nomination for leasing only during the Initial Term of this seismic agreement, or the Option Term, if activated, and only by the mineral lessee or by the EGA awardee.

And the Type II EGA Grantee may exclusively nominate tracts for leasing for the normal public bid mineral lease sale, which will be limited in size to 1500 acres per tract with an aggregate amount not to exceed one-third (1/3) of all state acreage within the geographical boundaries of the Agreement area, within the Initial Term of the Option Term, if activated.

For an EGA Type III, the State will not grant any new seismic permits or agreements on, or lease the nominated acreage, or any part thereof, during the Initial Term of this seismic agreement, or the Option Term, if activated, except that a buffer zone of one-half (1/2) mile around each pre-existing lease or Operating Agreement within the nominated area will be in effect.  The buffer zone shall be open for nomination for leasing only during the Initial Term of this seismic agreement, or the Option Term, if activated, and only by the mineral lessee or by the EGA awardee.

The Type III EGA Grantee shall have the exclusive right, prior to the end of the Initial Term or the Option Term, if activated, to select tracts for leasing of not more than 1500 acres per tract each, with the total acreage of all selected tracts not to exceed more than one-third (1/3) of all State acreage within the geographical boundaries of the nominated area.

The Type III EGA Grantee shall have the exclusive right to enter into lease agreements with the State on each tract for the consideration originally bid (which shall not be less than the minimum acceptable per acre bonus and royalty as determined by the Board staff) and under the terms of the Louisiana State Lease Form, as amended.  The forms for the agreements set forth above may be modified by the Board, at its option, at any time, but such modifications shall not affect existing agreements.  Potential nominators should check with OMR for any such modifications.