[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1467 Reported in House (RH)]






                                                 Union Calendar No. 439
105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 1467

                          [Report No. 105-770]

 To provide for the continuance of oil and gas operations pursuant to 
         certain existing leases in the Wayne National Forest.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 28, 1998

   Mr. Ney introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                          Committ on Resources

                            October 5, 1998

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for the continuance of oil and gas operations pursuant to 
         certain existing leases in the Wayne National Forest.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. ELECTION TO CONTINUE OIL AND GAS OPERATIONS UNDER 
              CERTAIN EXISTING LEASES.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    In the case of the Wayne National Forest, an election 
under section 17(b)(3) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 
226(b)(3)), including an election made before the date of enactment of 
this Act, shall be deemed to be an election to continue operations 
pursuant to the existing lease instead of an election to continue the 
lease as a noncompetitive lease under section 17(c)(1) of that Act, and 
in the case of any such election, the provisions of subparagraphs (C) 
and (D) of such section 17(b)(3) shall not apply. The preceding 
sentence shall not apply to any lands subject to an election made by a 
leaseholder under such section 17(b)(3) before the date of enactment of 
this Act if the lease holder notifies the Secretary of the Interior 
(within 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act) that the 
leaseholder intends such election to remain an election to continue the 
lease as a noncompetitive lease under section 17(c)(1) of that 
Act.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. OIL AND GAS WELLS IN WAYNE NATIONAL FOREST, OHIO.

    (a) Authority.--The Secretary of the Interior may enter into 
noncompetitive oil and gas production and reclamation contracts in 
accordance with this section with operators of wells in the Wayne 
National Forest in the State of Ohio who meet the criteria of section 
17(b)(3)(A) of the Act of February 25, 1920 (30 U.S.C. 226(b)(3)(A)) 
pursuant to private land mineral leases which were in effect on and 
after the date of the enactment of this section, subject to the same 
laws and regulations that applied to those private land mineral leases.
    (b) Additional Drilling.--No contract under this section may 
authorize deeper completions or additional drilling.
    (c) Bonding.--
            (1) Waiver of Federal bonding.--Each contract under this 
        section shall require the contractor to provide a Federal oil 
        and gas bond to ensure complete and timely reclamation of the 
        former lease tract in accordance with the regulations of the 
        Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service, unless the 
        Secretary of the Interior accepts in lieu thereof assurances 
        from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Oil 
        and Gas, that--
                    (A) the contractor has duly satisfied the bonding 
                requirements of the State of Ohio; and following 
                inspection of operator performance, the Ohio Department 
                of Natural Resources is not opposed to such waiver of 
                Federal bonding requirements;
                    (B) the United States of America is entitled to 
                apply for and receive funding under the provision of 
                section 1509.071 of the Ohio Revised Code so as to 
                properly plug and restore oil and gas sites and lease 
                tracts; and
                    (C) during the 2 years prior to the date on which 
                the contract is entered into no less than 20 percent of 
                Ohio State severance tax revenues has been allocated to 
                the State of Ohio Orphan Well Fund.
            (2) Continued compliance with 20 percent requirement.--In 
        entering into any contract under this section, the Secretary of 
        the Interior shall reserve the right to require the contractor 
        to comply with all Federal oil and gas bonding requirements 
        applicable to Federal oil and gas leases under the regulations 
        of the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service 
        whenever the Secretary finds that less than 20 percent of Ohio 
        State severance tax revenues has been allocated to the State of 
        Ohio Orphan Well Fund.
                                     





                                                 Union Calendar No. 439

105th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H.R. 1467

                          [Report No. 105-770]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To provide for the continuance of oil and gas operations pursuant to 
         certain existing leases in the Wayne National Forest.

_______________________________________________________________________

                            October 5, 1998

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed