BOE fines Plains Exploration for not submitting reports

Nick Snow
OGJ Washington Editor

WASHINGTON, DC, Aug. 13 -- Plains Exploration & Production Co. has paid a nearly $900,000 fine for failing to submit monthly production reports on federal leases, the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement’s Denver office announced.

The US Department of the Interior agency issued the civil penalty after the Houston independent producer did not comply with requests to submit monthly oil and gas operations reports for Pogo Producing Co., which Plains acquired in November 2007. BOE said it issued a noncompliance notice after the merger and a civil penalty notice for $838,272 after the independent did not comply with the first notice.

Plains ultimately paid $899,200 because the civil penalties continued to accrue, according to BOE. The company now has submitted all the required monthly production reports, the agency said.

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