[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 232 (Thursday, December 3, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 66776-66777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-31846]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

43 CFR Parts 3100, 3106, 3130, and 3160

[AA-610-08-4111-2410]
RIN 1004-AC54


Oil and Gas Leasing; Onshore Oil and Gas Operations

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is reopening the public 
comment period under a proposed rule published in the Federal Register 
on January 13, 1998, (63 FR 1936), concerning lessee responsibility for 
oil and gas drainage. BLM is reopening the comment period for 60 days 
in order to consult with Indian Tribes, pursuant to Executive Order 
13084, on the issue of whether the proposed rule should apply to Tribal 
and individual Indian oil and gas leases. BLM seeks further public 
comments solely on the issue of the appropriateness of applying the 
proposed rule to Indian oil and gas leases.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 1, 1999. BLM 
will not necessarily consider comments received after this time in 
developing the final rule or include them in the administrative record.

ADDRESSES: If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments by any 
one of several methods. You may mail comments to the Bureau of Land 
Management, Administrative Record, 1849 ``C'' Street, NW, Room 401LS, 
Washington, DC 20240. You may also comment via the Internet to 
WOC[email protected]. Please submit comments as an ASCII file avoiding 
the use of special characters and any form of encryption. Please also 
include ``Attn: AC54'' and your name and return address in your 
Internet message. If you do not receive a confirmation from the system 
that we have received your Internet message, contact us directly at 
(202) 452-5030.
    Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review at this address during regular business 
hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.), Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, 
except holidays. BLM will also post all comments on its home page 
(www.blm.gov) at the end of the comment period. Individual respondents 
may request confidentiality, which BLM will consider on a case-by-case 
basis. If you wish to request that BLM consider withholding your name, 
home street address, Internet address, or personal telephone number 
from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information 
Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. 
Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All 
submissions from organizations or businesses, and individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their 
entirety.
    Finally, you may hand-deliver comments to BLM at 1620 L Street, NW, 
Room 401, Washington, DC.


[[Page 66777]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donnie Shaw, Fluid Minerals Group, 
Bureau of Land Management, Mail Stop 401LS, 1849 ``C'' Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20240; telephone (202) 452-0340 (Commercial or FTS). 
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 13, 1998, (63 FR 1936), BLM 
published the drainage proposed rule in the Federal Register. The 
comment period was extended for 60 days in a notice published on 
February 24, 1998, (63 FR 9171). BLM is reopening the comment period 
for 60 days in order to consult with Indian Tribes, pursuant to 
Executive Order 13084, on the issue of whether the proposed rule should 
apply to Tribal and individual Indian oil and gas leases. Comments were 
solicited on this question in the original Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking, but only one comment was received.
    BLM seeks further public comments solely on the issue of the 
appropriateness of applying the proposed rule to Indian oil and gas 
leases. Specifically, BLM seeks comment on the issue of whether the 
proposed amendments to 43 CFR 3100.5 through 3100.80 should apply to 
both Federal and Indian leases. Should BLM determine to make those 
amendments applicable to Indian leases as well as Federal leases, the 
proposed amendments would be made in Part 3160 and replace 3162.2(a) 
and (b).
    BLM is not considering applying to Indian oil and gas leases the 
proposed revisions to 43 CFR Subpart 3106 governing the obligations of 
Federal oil and gas assignors and assignees. Instead, Indian oil and 
gas leases are governed by the obligations in 25 CFR 211.53 and 212.53.
    The proposed rule would clarify the responsibilities of oil and gas 
lessees for protecting Federal and Indian oil and gas resources from 
drainage by operations on nearby lands that would result in lower 
royalties to the Federal Government and Indian mineral owners. It would 
specify when the obligations of the lessee or operating rights owner to 
protect against drainage begin and end and what steps should be taken 
to determine if drainage is occurring.

    Dated: November 23, 1998.
Sylvia V. Baca,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. 98-31846 Filed 12-2-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-p