[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 15, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 50026]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-24075]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

30 CFR Part 206

RIN 1010-AC59


Workshop on Valuation of Federal Geothermal Resources

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of public workshop.

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SUMMARY: The Minerals Management Service (MMS) will hold a public 
workshop on valuing Federal geothermal resources in preparation for 
proposing amendments to its current royalty valuation rules. The 
purpose of the workshop is to provide an open forum for discussion of 
methods to value geothermal resources that are not subject to sales 
transactions (that is, the ``no sales'' resources). MMS announced its 
intent to amend the current valuation rules in the Federal Register on 
August 19, 1999 (Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 64 FR 45213).

DATES: The workshop will be held on October 7, 1999, beginning at 8:30 
a.m. and ending by 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time.

ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held at the Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza, 
300 J Street, Sacramento, California 95814; telephone (916) 446-0100.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Charles Brook, Royalty Valuation 
Division, Minerals Management Service, P.O. Box 25165, MS 3152, Denver, 
Colorado 80225-0165; telephone (303) 275-7250; or e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The workshop is open to the public to 
discuss alternative methods of valuing, for royalty purposes, those 
Federal geothermal resources that are not subject to sales 
transactions, the so-called ``no sales'' resources. The workshop is 
being held in conjunction with MMS's advance notice of proposed 
rulemaking, which was published in the Federal Register on August 19, 
1999 (64 FR 45213), announcing our intent to amend the current Federal 
geothermal valuation regulations in 30 CFR part 206.
    We are specifically seeking dialogue on alternatives to the netback 
procedure currently used to value ``no sales'' electrical generation 
resources. In the Federal Register notice, we offered three 
alternatives as a starting point for discussion: (1) Modification of 
the existing netback valuation procedure, (2) a ``rate-of-return'' 
method, and (3) a ``percentage-of-revenue'' method. In addition to 
these alternatives, we would like to explore other, new and different 
valuation methods offered by attendees during the course of the 
workshop. We are also asking for comments on options to the 
``alternative fuel'' method used to value the ``no sales'' direct 
utilization resources. Alternative valuation methods should derive a 
value for the resource that reflects its market value and should be 
easy to apply and readily verifiable.
    We encourage a workshop atmosphere where attendees can openly 
discuss alternative valuation methods. Please bring any written 
descriptions of alternative methods to share with MMS and other 
workshop attendees. Because space is limited, attendees should make 
reservations with Charles Brook at (303) 275-7250 or Shelia Dean at 
(303) 275-7201. We will post minutes of the workshop on the Internet at 
http://www.rmp.mms.gov.

    Dated: September 8, 1999.
R. Dale Fazio,
Acting Associate Director for Royalty Management.
[FR Doc. 99-24075 Filed 9-14-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P