30 Cfr 281

The information collection requirements contained in part 281 have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget under 44 U.S.C. 3507 and assigned clearance number 1010–0082. The information is being collected to determine if the applicant for a lease on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) is qualified to hold such a lease or to determine if a requested action is warranted. The information will be used to make those determinations. The obligation to respond is mandatory.

§ 281.1 Purpose and applicability.

The purpose of these regulations is to establish procedures under which the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) will exercise the authority granted to administer a leasing program for minerals other than oil, gas, and sulphur in the OCS. The rules in this part apply exclusively to leasing activities for minerals other than oil, gas, and sulphur in the OCS pursuant to the Act.

§ 281.2 Authority.

The Act authorizes the Secretary to grant leases for any mineral other than oil, gas, and sulphur in any area of the OCS to the qualified persons offering the highest cash bonuses on the basis of competitive bidding upon such royalty, rental, and other terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe at the time of offering the area for lease (43 U.S.C. 1337(k)). The Secretary is to administer the leasing provisions of the Act and prescribe the rules and regulations necessary to carry out those provisions (43 U.S.C. 1334(a)).

§ 281.3 Definitions.

When used in this part, the following terms shall have the meaning given below:

Act means the OCS Lands Act, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq. ).

Adjacent State means with respect to any activity proposed, conducted, or approved under this part, any coastal State—

(1) That is, or is proposed to be, receiving for processing, refining, or transshipping OCS mineral resources commercially recovered from the seabed;

(2) That is used, or is scheduled to be used, as a support base for prospecting, exploration, testing, and mining activities; or

(3) In which there is a reasonable probability of significant effect on land or water uses from such activity.

Director means the Director of the Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the U.S. Department of the Interior or an official authorized to act on the Director's behalf.

Governor means the Governor of a State or the person or entity designated by, or pursuant to, State law to exercise the powers granted to such Governor pursuant to the Act.

Lease means any form of authorization which is issued under section 8 of the Act and which authorizes exploration for, and development and production of, minerals, or the area covered by that authorization, whichever is required by the context.

Lessee means the person authorized by a lease, or an approved assignment thereof, to explore for and develop and produce the leased deposits in accordance with the regulations in this chapter. The term includes all persons holding that authority by or through the lessee.

OCS mineral means a mineral deposit or accretion found on or below the surface of the seabed but does not include oil, gas, sulphur; salt or sand and gravel intended for use in association with the development of oil, gas, or sulphur; or source materials essential to production of fissionable materials which are reserved to the United States pursuant to section 12(e) of the Act.

Outer Continental Shelf means all submerged lands lying seaward and outside of the area of lands beneath navigable waters as defined in section 2 of the Submerged Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1301) and of which the subsoil and seabed appertain to the United States and are subject to its jurisdiction and control.

Overriding royalty means a royalty created out of the lessee's interest which is over and above the royalty reserved to the lessor in the original lease.

Person means a citizen or national of the United States; an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residency in the United States as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20); a private, public, or municipal corporation organized under the laws of the United States or of any State or territory thereof; an association of such citizens, nationals, resident aliens or private, public, or municipal corporations, States, or political subdivisions of States; or anyone operating in a manner provided for by treaty or other applicable international agreements. The term does not include Federal Agencies.

Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior or an official authorized to act on the Secretary's behalf.

§ 281.4 Qualifications of lessees.

(a) In accordance with section 8(k) of the Act, leases shall be awarded only to qualified persons offering the highest cash bonus bid.

(b) Mineral leases issued pursuant to section 8 of the Act may be held only by:

(1) Citizens and nationals of the United States;

(2) Aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20);

(3) Private, public, or municipal corporations organized under the laws of the United States or of any State or of the District of Columbia or territory thereof; or

(4) Associations of such citizens, nationals, resident aliens, or private, public, or municipal corporations, States, or political subdivisions of States.

§ 281.5 False statements.

Under the provisions of 18 U.S.C. 1001, it is a crime punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment or a fine of $10,000, or both, for anyone knowingly and willfully to submit or cause to be submitted to any Agency of the United States any false or fraudulent statement(s) to any matters within the Agency's jurisdiction.

§ 281.6 Appeals.

Any party adversely affected by a decision of an MMS official made pursuant to the provisions of this part shall have the right of appeal pursuant to part 290 of this title, except as provided otherwise in §281.21 of this part.

§ 281.7 Disclosure of information to the public.

The Secretary shall make data and information available to the public in accordance with the requirements and subject to the limitations of the Act, the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), and the implementing regulations (30 CFR parts 280 and 282 and 43 CFR part 2).

§ 281.8 Rights to minerals.

(a) Unless otherwise specified in the leasing notice, a lease for OCS minerals shall include rights to all minerals within the leased area except the following;

(1) Minerals subject to rights granted by existing leases;

(2) Oil;

(3) Gas;

(4) Sulphur;

(5) Minerals produced in direct association with oil, gas, or sulphur;

(6) Salt deposits which are identified in the leasing notice as being reserved;

(7) Sand and gravel deposits which are identified in the leasing notice as being reserved; and

(8) Source materials essential to production of fissionable materials which are reserved pursuant to section 12(a) of the Act.

(b) When an OCS mineral lease issued under this part limits the minerals to which rights are granted, such lease shall include rights to minerals produced in direct association with the OCS mineral specified in the lease but not the rights to minerals specifically reserved.

(c) The existence of an OCS mineral, oil and gas, or sulphur lease shall not preclude the issuance of a lease(s) for other OCS minerals in the same area. However, no OCS mineral lease shall authorize or permit the lessee thereunder to unreasonably interfere with or endanger operations under an existing OCS mineral, oil and gas, or sulphur lease.

§ 281.9 Jurisdictional controversies.

In the event of a controversy between the United States and a State as to whether certain lands are subject to Federal or State jurisdiction (43 U.S.C. 1336), either the Governor or the Secretary may initiate negotiations in an attempt to settle the jurisdictional controversy. With the concurrence of the Attorney General, the Secretary may enter into an agreement with a State with respect to OCS mineral activities under the Act or under State authority and to payment and impounding of rents, royalties, and other sums and with respect to the offering of lands for lease pending settlement of the controversy.

Subpart B—Leasing Procedures

§ 281.11 Unsolicited request for a lease sale.

(a) Any person may at any time request that OCS minerals be offered for lease. A request that OCS minerals be offered for lease shall be submitted to the Director and shall contain the following information:

(1) The area to be offered for lease.

(2) The OCS minerals of primary interest.

(3) The available OCS mineral resource and environmental information pertaining to the area of interest to be offered for lease which supports the request.

(b) Within 45 days after receipt of a request submitted under paragraph (a) of this section, the Director shall either initiate steps leading to the offer of OCS minerals for lease and notify the applicant of the action taken or inform the applicant of the reasons for not initiating steps leading to the offer of OCS minerals for lease.

(c) Any interested party may at any time submit information to the Director concerning the scheduling of proposed lease sales of OCS minerals in any area of the OCS. Such information may include but not be limited to any of the following:

(1) Benefits of conducting a lease sale in an area.

(2) Costs of conducting a lease sale in an area.

(3) Geohazards which could be encountered in an area.

(4) Geological information about an area and mineral resource potential.

(5) Environmental information about an area.

(6) Information about known archaeological resources in an area.

§ 281.12 Request for OCS mineral information and interest.

(a) When considering whether to offer OCS minerals for lease, the Secretary, upon the Department of the Interior's own initiative or as a result of a submission under §281.11, may request indications of interest in the leasing of a specific OCS mineral, a group of OCS minerals, or all OCS minerals in the area being considered for lease. Requests for information and interest shall be published in theFederal Registerand may be published elsewhere.

(b) States and local governments, industry, other Federal Agencies, and all interested parties (including the public) may respond to a request for information and interest. All information provided to the Secretary will be considered in the decision whether to proceed with additional steps leading to the offering of OCS minerals for lease.

(c) The Secretary may request specific information concerning the offering of a specific OCS mineral, a group of OCS minerals, or all OCS minerals in a broad area for lease or the offering of one or more discrete tracts which represent a minable orebody. The Secretary's request may ask for comments on OCS areas which have been determined to warrant special consideration and analysis. Requests may be for comments concerning geological conditions or archaeological resources on the seabed; multiple uses of the area proposed for leasing, including navigation, recreation and fisheries; and other socioeconomic, biological, and environmental information relating to the area proposed for leasing.

[54 FR 2049, Jan. 18, 1989, as amended at 59 FR 53094, Oct. 21, 1994]

§ 281.13 Joint State/Federal coordination.

(a) The Secretary may invite the adjacent State Governor(s) to join in, or the adjacent State Governor(s) may request that the Secretary join in, the establishment of a State/Federal task force or some other joint planning or coordination arrangement when industry interest exists for OCS mineral leasing or geological information appears to support the leasing of OCS minerals in specific areas. Participation in joint State/Federal task forces or other arrangements will afford the adjacent State Governor(s) opportunity for access to available data and information about the area; knowledge of progress made in the leasing process and of the results of subsequent exploration and development activities; facilitate the resolution of issues of mutual interest; and provide a mechanism for planning, coordination, consultation, and other activities which the Secretary and the Governor(s) may identify as contributing to the leasing process.

(b) State/Federal task forces or other such arrangement are to be constituted pursuant to such terms and conditions (consistent with Federal law and these regulations) as the Secretary and the adjacent State Governor(s) may agree.

(c) State/Federal task forces or other such arrangements will provide a forum which the Secretary and adjacent State Governor(s) may use for planning, consultation, and coordination on concerns associated with the offering of OCS minerals other than oil, gas, or sulphur for lease.

(d) With respect to the activities authorized under these regulations each State/Federal task force may make recommendations to the Secretary and adjacent State Governor(s) concerning:

(1) The identification of areas in which OCS minerals might be offered for lease;

(2) The potential for conflicts between the exploration and development of OCS mineral resources, other users and uses of the area, and means for resolution or mitigation of these conflicts;

(3) The economic feasibility of developing OCS mineral resources in the area proposed for leasing;

(4) Potential environmental problems and measures that might be taken to mitigate these problems;

(5) Development of guidelines and procedures for safe, environmentally responsible exploration and development practices; and

(6) Other issues of concern to the Secretary and adjacent State Governor(s).

(e) State/Federal task forces or other such arrangements might also be used to conduct or oversee research, studies, or reports (e.g., Environmental Impact Statements).

§ 281.14 OCS mining area identification.

The Secretary, after considering the available OCS mineral resources and environmental data and information, the recommendation of any joint State/Federal task force established pursuant to §281.13 of this part, and the comments received from interested parties, shall select the tracts to be considered for offering for lease. The selected tracts will be considered in the environmental analysis conducted for the proposed lease offering.

§ 281.15 Tract size.

The size of the tracts to be offered for lease shall be as determined by the Secretary and specified in the leasing notice. It is intended that tracts offered for lease be sufficiently large to include potentially minable OCS mineral orebodies. When the presence of any minable orebody is unknown and additional prospecting is needed to discover and delineate OCS minerals, the size of tracts specified in the leasing notice may be relatively large.

§ 281.16 Proposed leasing notice.

(a) Prior to offering OCS minerals in an area for lease, the Director shall assess the available information including recommendations of any joint State/Federal task force established pursuant to §281.13 of this part to determine lease sale procedures to be prescribed and to develop a proposed leasing notice which sets out the proposed primary term of the OCS mineral leases to be offered; lease stipulations including measures to mitigate potentially adverse impacts on the environment; and such rental, royalty, and other terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe in the leasing notice.

(b) The proposed leasing notice shall be sent to the Governor(s) of any adjacent State(s), and a Notice of its availability shall be published in theFederal Registerat least 60 days prior to the publication of the leasing notice.

(c) Written comments of the adjacent State Governor(s) submitted within 60 days after publication of the Notice of Availability of the proposed leasing notice shall be considered by the Secretary.

(d) Prior to publication of the leasing notice, the Secretary shall respond in writing to the comments of the adjacent State Governor(s) stating the reasons for accepting or rejecting the Governor's recommendations, or for implementing any alternative mutually acceptable approach identified in consultation with the Governor(s) as a means to provide a reasonable balance between the national interest and the well being of the citizens of the adjacent State.

§ 281.17 Leasing notice.

(a) The Director shall publish the leasing notice in theFederal Registerat least 30 days prior to the date that OCS minerals will be offered for lease. The leasing notice shall state whether oral or sealed bids or a combination thereof will be used; the place, date, and time at which sealed bids shall be filed; and the place, date, and time at which sealed bids shall be opened and/or oral bids received. The leasing notice shall contain or reference a description of the tract(s) to be offered for lease; specify the mineral(s) to be offered for lease (if less than all OCS minerals are being offered); specify the period of time the primary term of the lease shall cover; and any stipulation(s), term(s), and condition(s) of the offer to lease (43 U.S.C. 1337(k)).

(b) The leasing notice shall contain a reference to the OCS minerals lease form which shall be issued to successful bidders.

§ 281.18 Bidding system.

(a) The OCS minerals shall be offered by competitive, cash bonus bidding under terms and conditions specified in the leasing notice and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.

(b)(1) When the leasing notice specifies the use of sealed bids, such bids received in response to the leasing notice shall be opened at the place, date, and time specified in the leasing notice. The sole purpose of opening bids is to publicly announce and record the bids received, and no bids shall be accepted or rejected at that time.

(2) The Secretary reserves the right to reject any and all sealed bids received for any tract, regardless of the amount offered.

(3) In the event the highest bids are tie bids when using sealed bidding procedures, the tied bidders may be permitted to submit oral bids to determine the highest cash bonus bidder.

(c)(1) When the leasing notice specifies the use of oral bids, oral bids shall be received at the place, time, and date and in accordance with the procedures specified in the leasing notice.

(2) The Secretary reserves the right to reject all oral bids received for any tract, regardless of the amount offered.

(d) When the leasing notice specifies the use of deferred cash bonus bidding, bids shall be received in accordance with paragraph (b) or (c) of this section, as appropriate. The high bid will be determined based upon the net present value of each total bid. The appropriate discount rate will be specified in the leasing notice. High bidders using the deferred bonus option shall pay a minimum of 20 percent of the cash bonus bid prior to lease issuance. At least a total of 60 percent of the cash bonus bid shall be due on or before the 5th anniversary of the lease, and payment of the remainder of the cash bonus bid shall be due on the 10th anniversary of the lease. The lessee shall submit a bond guaranteeing payment of the deferred portion of the bonus, in accordance with §281.33.

§ 281.19 Lease term.

An OCS mineral lease for OCS minerals other than sand and gravel shall be for a primary term of not less than 20 years as stipulated in the leasing notice. The primary lease term for each OCS mineral shall be determined based on exploration and development requirements for the OCS minerals being offered by the Secretary. An OCS mineral lease for sand and gravel shall be for a primary term of 10 years unless otherwise stipulated in the leasing notice. A lease will continue beyond the specified primary term for so long thereafter as leased OCS minerals are being produced in accordance with an approved mining operation or the lessee is otherwise in compliance with provisions of the lease and the regulations in this chapter under which a lessee can earn continuance of the OCS mineral lease in effect.

§ 281.20 Submission of bids.

(a) If the bidder is an individual, a statement of citizenship shall accompany the bid.

(b) If the bidder is an association (including a partnership), the bid shall be accompanied by a certified statement indicating the State in which it is registered and that the association is authorized to hold mineral leases on the OCS, or appropriate reference to statements or records previously submitted to an MMS OCS office (including material submitted in compliance with prior regulations).

(1) Either a statement certified by the corporate Secretary or Assistant Secretary over the corporate seal showing the State in which it was incorporated and that it is authorized to hold mineral leases on the OCS or appropriate reference to statements or record previously submitted to an MMS OCS office (including material submitted in compliance with prior regulations).

(2) Evidence of authority of persons signing to bind the corporation. Such evidence may be in the form of a certified copy of either the minutes of the board of directors or of the bylaws indicating that the person signing has authority to do so, or a certificate to that effect signed by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the corporation over the corporate seal, or appropriate reference to statements or records previously submitted to an MMS OCS office (including material submitted in compliance with prior regulations). Bidders are advised to keep their filings current.

(3) The bid shall be executed in conformance with corporate requirements.

(d) Bidders should be aware of the provisions of 18 U.S.C. 1860, which prohibits unlawful combination or intimidation of bidders.

(e) When sealed bidding is specified in the leasing notice, a separate sealed bid shall be submitted for each bid unit that is bid upon as described in the leasing notice. A bid may not be submitted for less than a bidding unit identified in the leasing notice.

(f) When oral bidding is specified in the leasing notice, information which must accompany a bid pursuant to paragraph (a), (b), or (c) of this section, shall be presented to MMS at the lease sale prior to the offering of an oral bid.

§ 281.21 Award of leases.

(a)(1) The decision of the Director on bids shall be the final action of the Department, subject only to reconsideration by the Secretary, pursuant to a written request in accordance with paragraph (a)(2) of this section. The delegation of review authority to the Office of Hearings and Appeals shall not be applicable to decisions on high bids for leases in the OCS.

(2) Any bidder whose bid is rejected by the Director may file a written request for reconsideration with the Secretary within 15 days of notice of rejection, accompanied by a statement of reasons with a copy to the Director. The Secretary shall respond in writing either affirming or reversing the decision.

(b) Written notice of the Director's action in accepting or rejecting bids shall be transmitted promptly to those bidders whose deposits have been held. If a bid is accepted, such notice shall transmit three copies of the lease form to the successful bidder. As provided in §281.26 of this part, the bidder shall, not later than the 10th business day after receipt of the lease, execute the lease, pay the first year's rental, and unless payment of a portion of the bid is deferred, pay the balance of the bonus bid. When payment of a portion of the bid is deferred, the successful bidder shall also file a bond to guarantee payment of the deferred portion as required in §281.33. Deposits shall be refunded on high bids subsequently rejected. When three copies of the lease have been executed by the successful bidder and returned to the Director, the lease shall be executed on behalf of the United States; and one fully executed copy shall be transmitted to the successful bidder.

(c) If the successful bidder fails to execute the lease within the prescribed time or to otherwise comply with the applicable regulations, the successful bidder's deposit shall be forfeited and disposed of in the same manner as other receipts under the Act.

(d) If, before the lease is executed on behalf of the United States, the land which would be subject to the lease is withdrawn or restricted from leasing, the deposit shall be refunded.

(e) If the awarded lease is executed by an agent acting on behalf of the bidder, the bidder shall submit with the executed lease, evidence that the agent is authorized to act on behalf of the bidder.

§ 281.22 Lease form.

The OCS mineral leases shall be issued on the lease form prescribed by the Secretary in the leasing notice.

§ 281.23 Effective date of leases.

Leases issued under the regulations in this part shall be dated and become effective as of the first day of the month following the date leases are signed on behalf of the lessor except that, upon written request, a lease may be dated and become effective as of the first day of the month within which it is signed on behalf of the lessor.

Subpart C—Financial Considerations

§ 281.26 Payments.

(a) For sealed bids, a bonus bid deposit of a specified percentage of the total amount bid is required to be submitted with the bid. The percentage of bonus bid required to be deposited will be specified in the leasing notice. The remittance may be made in cash or by Federal Reserve check, commerical check, bank draft, money order, certified check, or cashier's check made payable to “Department of the Interior—MMS.” Payment of this portion of the bonus bid may not be made by Electronic Funds Transfer.

(b) For oral bids, a bonus bid deposit of a specified percentage of the total amount bid must be submitted to the official designated in the leasing notice following the completion of the oral bidding. The percentage of bonus bid required to be deposited will be specified in the leasing notice. Payment of this portion of the bonus bid shall be made by Electronic Fund Transfer within the timeframe specified in the leasing notice.

(c) The deposit received from high bidders will be placed in a Treasury account pending acceptance or rejection of the bid. Other bids submitted under paragraph (a) of this section will be returned to the bidders. If the high bid is subsequently rejected, an amount equal to that deposited with the high bid will be returned according to applicable regulations.

(d) The balance of the winning bonus bid and all rentals and royalties must be paid in accordance with the terms and conditions of this part, the Leasing Notice, and Subchapter A of this chapter.

(e) For each lease issued pursuant to this subpart, there shall be one person identified who shall be solely responsible for all payments due and payable under the provisions of the lease. The single responsible person shall be designated as the payor for the lease and shall be so identified on the Solid Minerals Payor Information Form (MMS–4030) in accordance with §210.201 of this title. The designated person shall be responsible for all bonus, rental, and royalty payments.

(f) Royalty shall be computed at the rate specified in the leasing notice, and paid in value unless the Secretary elects to have the royalty delivered in kind.

(g) For leases which provide for minimum royalty payments, each lessee shall pay the minimum royalty specified in the lease at the end of each lease year beginning with the lease year in which production royalty is paid (whether the full amount specified in the lease or1/2the amount specified in the lease pursuant to §281.28(b) on this part) of OCS minerals produced (sold, transferred, used, or otherwise disposed of) from the leasehold.

(h) Unless stated otherwise in the lease, product valuation will be in accordance with the regulations of this chapter. The value used in the computation of royalty shall be determined by the Director. The value, for royalty purposes, shall be the gross proceeds received by the lessee for produced substances at the point the product is produced and placed in its first marketable condition, consistent with prevailing practices in the industry. In establishing the value, the Director shall consider, in this order: (1) The price received by the lessee; (2) commodity and spot market transactions; (3) any other valuation method proposed by the lessee and approved by the Director; and (4) value or cost netback. For non-arm's length transactions, the first benchmark will only be accepted if it is not less than the second benchmark.

(i) All payors must submit payments and payment information forms and maintain auditable records in accordance with the following Royalty Management regulations of this title:

Section 210.200—Required recordkeeping.

Section 210.201—Solid minerals payor information form.

Section 210.202—Report of sales and royalty remittance—solid minerals.

Section 210.203—Special forms and reports.

Section 212.200—Maintenance of and access to records.

Section 217.250—Audits.

Section 218.40—Assessments for incorrect or late reports and failure to report.

Section 218.50—Timing of payment.

Section 218.51—Method of payment.

Section 218.52—Designated payor.

Section 218.56—Definitions.

Section 218.150—Royalties, net profit shares, and rental payments.

Section 218.151—Rentals.

Section 218.155—Method of payment.

Section 218.202—Late payment or underpayment charges.

Section 241.20—Civil penalties authorized by statutes other than the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982.

§ 281.27 Annual rental.

(a) The annual lease rental shall be due and payable in accordance with the provisions of this section. No rental shall be due or payable under a lease commencing with the first lease anniversary date following the commencement of royalty payments on leasehold production computed on the basis of the royalty rate specified in the lease except that annual rental shall be due for any year in which production from the leasehold is not subject to royalty pursuant to §281.28.

(b) Unless otherwise specified in the leasing notice and subsequently issued lease, no annual rental payment shall be due during the first 5 years in the life of a lease.

(c) The leasee shall pay an annual rental in the amount specified in the leasing notice and subsequently issued lease not later than the last day prior to the commencement of the rental year.

(d) A rental adjustment schedule and amount may be specified in a leasing notice and subsequently issued lease when a variance is warranted by geologic, geographic, technical, or economic conditions.

§ 281.28 Royalty.

(a) The royalty due the lessor on OCS minerals produced ( i.e. , sold, transferred, used, or otherwise disposed of) from a lease shall be set out in a separate schedule attached to and made a part of each lease and shall be as specified in the leasing notice. The royalty due on production shall be based on a percentage of the value or amount of the OCS mineral(s) produced, a sum assessed per unit of product, or other such method as the Secretary may prescribe in the leasing notice. When the royalty specified is a sum assessed per unit of product, the amount of the royalty shall be subject to an annual adjustment based on changes in the appropriate price index, when specified in the leasing notice. When the royalty is specified as a percentage of the value or amount of the OCS minerals produced, the Secretary will notify the lessee when and where royalty is to be delivered in kind.

(b) When prescribed in the leasing notice and subsequently issued lease, royalty due on OCS minerals produced from a leasehold will be reduced for up to any 5 consecutive years, as specified by the lessee prior to the commencement of production, during the 1st through 15th year in the life of the lease. No royalty shall be due in any year of the specified 5-year period that occurs during the 1st through 10th years in the life of the lease, and a royalty of one-half the amount specified in the lease shall be due in any year of the specified 5-year period that occurs in the 11th through 15th year in the life of the lease. The lessee shall pay the amount specified in the lease rental for any royalty free year. The minimum royalty specified in the lease shall apply during any year of reduced royalty.

§ 281.29 Royalty valuation.

The method of valuing the product from a leasehold shall be in accordance with regulations of this chapter and procedures prescribed in the leasing notice and subsequently issued lease.

§ 281.30 Minimum royalty.

Unless otherwise specified in the leasing notice, each lease issued pursuant to the regulations in this part shall require the payment of a specified minimum annual royalty beginning with the year in which OCS minerals are produced (sold, transferred, used, or otherwise disposed of) from the leasehold except that the annual rentals shall apply during any year that royalty free production is in effect pursuant to §281.28(b). Minimum royalty payments shall be offset by royalty paid on production during the lease year. Minimum royalty payments are due at the beginning of the lease year and payable by the end of the month following the end of the lease year for which they are due.

§ 281.31 Overriding royalties.

(a) Subject to the approval of the Secretary, an overriding royalty interest may be created by an assignment pursuant to section 8(e) of the Act. The Secretary may deny approval of an assignment which creates an overriding royalty on a lease whenever that denial is determined to be in the interest of conservation, necessary to prevent premature abandonment of a producing mine, or to make possible the mining of economically marginal or low-grade ore deposits. In any case, the total of applicable overriding royalties may not exceed 2.5 percent or one-half the base royalty due the Federal Government, whichever is less.

(b) No transfer or agreement may be made which creates an overriding royalty interest unless the owner of that interest files an agreement in writing that such interest is subject to the limitations provided in §281.30 of this part, paragraph (a) of this section, and §281.32 of this part.

§ 281.32 Waiver, suspension, or reduction of rental, minimum royalty or production royalty.

(a) The Secretary may waive, suspend, or reduce the rental, minimum royalty, and/or production royalty prescribed in a lease for a specified time period when the Secretary determines that it is in the national interest, it will result in the conservation of natural resources of the OCS, it will promote development, or the mine cannot be successfully operated under existing conditions.

(b) An application for waiver, suspension, or reduction of rental, minimum royalty, or production royalty under paragraph (a) of this section shall be filed in duplicate with the Director. The application shall contain the serial number(s) of the lease(s), the name of the lessee(s) of record, and the operator(s) if applicable. The application shall either:

(1)(i) Show the location and extent of all mining operations and a tabulated statement of the minerals mined and subject to royalty for each of the last 12 months immediately prior to filing the application:

(ii) Contain a detailed statement of expenses and costs of operating the lease, the income from the sale of any lease products, and the amount of all overriding royalties and payments out of production paid to others than the United States; and

(iii) All facts showing whether or not the mine(s) can be successfully operated under the royalty fixed in the lease; or

(2) If no production has occurred from the lease, show that the lease cannot be successfully operated under the rental, royalty, and other conditions specified in the lease.

(c) The applicant for a waiver, suspension, or reduction under this section shall file documentation that the lessee and the royalty holders agree to a reduction of all other royalties from the lease so that the aggregate of all other royalties does not exceed one-half the amount of the reduced royalties that would be paid to the United States.

§ 281.33 Bonds and bonding requirements.

(a) When the leasing notice specifies that payment of a portion of the bonus bid can be deferred, the lessee shall be required to submit a surety or personal bond to guarantee payment of a deferred portion of the bid. Upon the payment of the full amount of the cash bonus bid, the lessee's bond will be released.

(b) All bonds to guarantee payment of the deferred portion of the high cash bonus bid furnished by the lessee must be in a form or on a form approved by the Associate Director for Offshore Minerals Management. A single copy of the required form is to be executed by the principal or, in the case of surety bonds, by both the principal and an acceptable surety.

(1) Only those surety bonds issued by qualified surety companies approved by the Department of the Treasury shall be accepted. (See Department of the Treasury Circular No. 570 and any supplemental or replacement circulars.)

(2) Personal bonds shall be accompanied by a cashier's check, certified check, or negotiable U.S. Treasury bonds of an equal value to the amount specified in the bond. Negotiable Treasury bonds shall be accompanied by a proper conveyance of full authority to the Director to sell such securities in case of default in the performance of the terms and conditions of the lease.

(c) Prior to the commencement of any activity on a lease(s), the lessee shall submit a surety or personal bond as described in §282.40 of this title. Prior to the approval of a Delineation, Testing, or Mining Plan, the bond amount shall be adjusted, if appropriate, to cover the operations and activities described in the proposed plan.

[54 FR 2049, Jan. 18, 1989, as amended at 62 FR 27960, May 22, 1997]

Subpart D—Assignments and Lease Extensions

§ 281.40 Assignment of leases or interests therein.

(a) Subject to the approval of the Secretary, a lease may be assigned, in whole or in part, pursuant to section 8(e) of the Act to anyone qualified to hold a lease.

(b) Any approved assignment shall be deemed to be effective on the first day of the lease month following the date that it is submitted to the Director for approval unless by written request the parties request that the effective date be the first of the month in which the Director approves the assignment.

(c) The assignor shall be liable for all obligations under the lease occurring prior to the effective date of an assignment.

(d) The assignee shall be liable for all obligations under the lease occurring on or after the effective date of an assignment and shall comply with all terms and conditions of the lease and applicable regulations issued under the Act.

§ 281.41 Requirements for filing for transfers.

(a)(1) All instruments of transfer of a lease or of an interest therein including subleases and assignments of record interest shall be filed in triplicate for approval within 90 days from the date of final execution. They shall include a statement over the transferee's own signature with respect to citizenship and qualifications similar to that required of a lessee and shall contain all of the terms and conditions agreed upon by the parties thereto.

(2) An application for approval of any instrument required to be filed shall not be accepted unless accompanied by a nonrefundable fee of $50. Any document not required to be filed by these regulations but submitted for record purposes shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable fee of $50 per lease affected. Such documents may be rejected at the discretion of the authorized officer.

(b) An attorney in fact signing on behalf of the holder of a lease or sublease, shall furnish evidence of authority to execute the assignment or application for approval and the statement required by §281.20 of this part.

(c) Where an assignment creates separate leases, a bond shall be furnished for each of the resulting leases in the amount prescribed in §282.40 of this title. Where an assignment does not create separate leases, the assignee, if the assignment so provides and the surety consents, may become a joint principal on the bond with the assignor.

(d) An heir or devisee of a deceased holder of a lease or any interest therein shall be recognized as the lawful successor to such lease or interest if evidence of status as an heir or devisee is furnished in the form of:

(1) A certified copy of an appropriate order or decree of the court having jurisdiction over the distribution of the estate, or

(2) If no court action is necessary, the statement of two disinterested persons having knowledge of the fact or a certified copy of the will.

(e) The heirs or devisee shall file statements that they are the persons named as successors to the estate with evidence of their qualifications to hold such lease or interest therein.

(f) In the event an heir or devisee is unable to qualify to hold the lease or interest, the heir or devisee shall be recognized as the lawful successor of the deceased and be entitled to hold the lease for a period not to exceed 2 years from the date of death of the predecessor in interest.

(g) Each obligation under any lease and under the regulations in this part shall inure to the heirs, executors, administrators, successors, or assignees of the lease.

§ 281.42 Effect of assignment on particular lease.

(a) When an assignment is made of all the record title to a portion of the acreage in a lease, the assigned and retained portions of the lease area become segregated into separate and distinct leases. In such a case, the assignee becomes a lessee of the Government as to the segregated tract that is the subject of the assignment and is bound by the terms of the lease as though the lease had been obtained from the United States in the assignee's own name, and the assignment, after its approval, shall be the basis of a new record. Royalty, minimum royalty, and annual rental provisions of the lease shall apply separately to each segregated portion.

(b) Each lease of an OCS mineral created by the segregation of a lease under paragraph (a) of this section shall continue in full force and effect for the remainder of the primary term of the original lease and so long thereafter as minerals are produced from the portion of the lease created by segregation in accordance with operations approved by the Director or the lessee is otherwise in compliance with provisions of the lease or regulations for earning the continuation of the lease in effect.

§ 281.43 Effect of suspensions on lease term.

(a) If the Director orders the suspension of either operations or production, or both, with respect to any lease in its primary term, the primary term of the lease shall be extended by a period of time equivalent to the period of the directed suspension.

(b) If the Director orders or approves the suspension of either operations or production, or both, with respect to any lease that is in force beyond its primary term, the term of the lease shall not be deemed to expire so long as the suspension remains in effect.

Subpart E—Termination of Leases

§ 281.46 Relinquishment of leases or parts of leases.

(a) A lease or any part thereof may be surrendered by the record title holder by filing a written relinquishment with the Director. A relinquishment shall take effect on the date it is filed subject to the continued obligation of the lessee and the surety to:

(1) Make all payments due, including any accrued rentals and royalties; and

(2) Abandon all operations, remove all facilities, and clear the land to be relinquished to the satisfaction of the Director.

(b) Upon relinquishment of a lease, the data and information submitted under the lease will no longer be held confidential and will be available to the public.

§ 281.47 Cancellation of leases.

(a) Whenever the owner of a nonproducing lease fails to comply with any of the provisions of the Act, the lease, or the regulations issued under the Act, and the default continues for a period of 30 days after mailing of notice by registered or certified letter to the lease owner at the owner's record post office address, the Secretary may cancel the lease pursuant to section 5(c) of the Act, and the lessee shall not be entitled to compensation. Any such cancellation is subject to judicial review as provided by section 23(b) of the Act.

(b) Whenever the owner of any producing lease fails to comply with any of the provisions of the Act, the lease, or the regulations issued under the Act, the Secretary may cancel the lease only after judicial proceedings pursuant to section 5(d) of the Act, and the lessee shall not be entitled to compensation.

(c) Any lease issued under the Act, whether producing or not, may be canceled by the Secretary upon proof that it was obtained by fraud or misrepresentation and after notice and opportunity to be heard has been afforded to the lessee.

(d) The Secretary may cancel a lease in accordance with the following:

(1) Cancellation may occur at any time if the Secretary determines after a hearing that:

(i) Continued activity pursuant to such lease would probably cause serious harm or damage to life (including fish and other aquatic life), to property, to any mineral (in areas leased or not leased), to the national security or defense, or to the marine, coastal, or human environment;

(ii) The threat of harm or damage will not disappear or decrease to an acceptable extent within a reasonable period of time; and

(iii) The advantages of cancellation outweigh the advantages of continuing such lease in force;

(2) Cancellation shall not occur unless and until operations under such lease shall have been under suspension or temporary prohibition by the Secretary, with due extension of any lease term continuously for a period of 5 years, or for a lesser period upon request of the lessee; and

(3) Cancellation shall entitle the lessee to receive such compensation as is shown to the Secretary as being equal to the lesser of:

(i) The fair value of the canceled rights as of the date of cancellation, taking into account both anticipated revenues from the lease and anticipated costs, including costs of compliance with all applicable regulations and operating orders, liability for cleanup costs or damages, or both, and all other costs reasonably anticipated on the lease, or

(ii) The excess, if any, over the lessee's revenues from the lease (plus interest thereon from the date of receipt to date of reimbursement) of all consideration paid for the lease and all direct expenditures made by the lessee after the date of issuance of such lease and in connection with exploration or development, or both, pursuant to the lease (plus interest on such consideration and such expenditures from date of payment to date of reimbursement), except that in the case of joint leases which are canceled due to the failure of one or more partners to exercise due diligence, the innocent parties shall have the right to seek damages for such loss from the responsible party or parties and the right to acquire the interests of the negligent party or parties and be issued the lease in question.

(iii) The lessee shall not be entitled to compensation where one of the following circumstances exists when a lease is canceled:

(A) A producing lease is forfeited or is canceled pursuant to section (5)(d) of the Act;

(B) A Testing Plan or Mining Plan is disapproved because of the lessee's failure to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of applicable Federal Law; or

(C) The lessee(s) of a nonproducing lease fails to comply with a provision of the Act, the lease, or regulations issued under the Act, and the noncompliance continues for a period of 30 days or more after the mailing of a notice of noncompliance by registered or certified letter to the lessee(s).

File Type	application/msword
File Title	Home Page > Executive Branch > Code of Federal Regulations > Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
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Last Modified By	blundon
File Modified	2011-06-29
File Created	2011-06-29