[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 104 (Tuesday, June 1, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 29256-29257]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-13850]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

43 CFR Parts 3100, 3110, 3120, 3130, 3140, 3150, 3160, 3170, and 
3180

[WO-310-1310-00-2I-IP]
RIN 1004-AC94


Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing and Operations

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is extending the public 
comment period on a Notice of Proposed Rule, published in the Federal 
Register on December 3, 1998 (63 FR 66840). On March 26, 1999, BLM 
extended the comment period for 60 days (64 FR 14666). The proposed 
rule would revise BLM's oil and gas leasing and operations regulations. 
The rule uses performance standards in certain instances in lieu of the 
current prescriptive requirements. It would also cite industry 
standards and incorporate them by reference rather than repeat those 
standards in the rule itself. Also, BLM's onshore orders and national 
notices to lessees would be incorporated into the regulations to 
eliminate overlap with existing regulations. The rule would increase 
certain minimum bond amounts and would revise and replace BLM's current 
unitization regulations with a more flexible unit agreement process. 
Finally, the proposed rule would eliminate redundancies, clarify 
procedures and regulatory requirements, and streamline processes. In 
response to public requests for additional time, BLM extends the 
comment period 45 days from the comment period closing date of June 4, 
1999, to the extended comment period's closing date of July 19, 1999.

DATES: Comments. Send your comments to BLM on or before July 19, 1999. 
BLM will consider comments received or postmarked on or before this 
date in preparing the final rule.

ADDRESSES: Please send your comments to the Bureau of Land Management 
Administrative Record, Room 401 LS, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20240, or hand deliver comments to the Bureau of Land Management 
Administrative Record, Room 401, 1620 L Street, NW., Washington DC. For 
information about filing comments electronically, see the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section under ``Electronic access and filing address.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Duletsky of BLM's Fluid Minerals 
Group at (202) 452-0337 or Ian J. Senio of BLM's Regulatory Affairs 
Group at (202) 452-5049. If you require a telecommunications device for 
the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Service at 
1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through 
Friday, excluding Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access and Filing Address

    You can view an electronic version of this proposed rule at BLM's 
Internet home page: www.blm.gov. You can also comment via the Internet 
at: WOC[email protected]. Please include ``Attention: AC94'' and your 
name and return address in your Internet message. If you do not receive 
a confirmation from our system that we have received your Internet 
message, contact us directly at (202) 452-5030.

Written Comments

    Written comments on the proposed rule are most helpful if you:
    (A) Are specific;
    (B) Confine comments to issues pertinent to the proposed rule;
    (C) Explain the reason for any recommended change; and
    (D) Reference the specific section or paragraph of the proposal you 
are addressing.
    We welcome suggested regulatory language.
    BLM may not necessarily consider or include in the Administrative 
Record for the final rule comments which BLM receives after the close 
of the comment period (See DATES) or comments delivered to an address 
other than those listed above (See ADDRESSES).
    You can review comments, including names, street addresses, and 
other contact information of respondents at this address during regular 
business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays. If you are an individual respondent you may request 
confidentiality. If you request that BLM consider withholding your 
name, street address, and other

[[Page 29257]]

contact information (such as Internet address, FAX or phone number) 
from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information 
Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. 
BLM will honor requests for confidentiality on a case-by-case basis to 
the extent allowed by law. BLM will make available for public 
inspection in their entirety all submissions from organizations or 
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses.

    Dated: May 26, 1999.
Sylvia V. Baca,
 Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. 99-13850 Filed 5-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P