[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 245 (Thursday, December 22, 2005)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 75954]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-24371]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

43 CFR Part 3160

RIN 1004-AD80


Onshore Oil and Gas Operations; Correction

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Correcting amendment.

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SUMMARY: This document contains a correcting amendment to a final rule 
reorganizing regulations of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
relating to onshore oil and gas operations, which was published in the 
Federal Register of Friday, February 20, 1987 (52 FR 5384). The 
amendment corrects an error in a cross-reference.

DATES: Effective date December 22, 2005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ted Hudson, 202-452-5042. Individuals 
who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may contact him 
individually through the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-
877-8339, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The regulations that are the subject of this correcting amendment 
have been in effect for more than 20 years. They pertain specifically 
to onshore oil and gas operations programs, and particularly to the 
penalty provision for knowingly submitting false, misleading, or 
inaccurate reports or other information required by the regulations, 
taking oil or gas from a Federal or Indian lease without authority, or 
receiving such oil or gas knowing or having reason to know it was 
stolen or unlawfully diverted or removed from a Federal or Indian lease 
site.

Need for Correction

    When a final rule redesignated and revised the pertinent sections 
in 1987, at 52 FR 5394, it created an error in a cross-reference. This 
error is misleading and needs clarification. The provision assigns a 
criminal penalty for an act for which a civil penalty is prescribed in 
another section, referring to that other section by number. However, 
the section and paragraph number stated, section 3163.4-1(b)(6), does 
not exist in the current regulations, having been redesignated as 
section 3163.2(f) in the 1987 rule. The 1987 rule failed to adjust the 
cross-reference, which now needs to be corrected to eliminate 
confusion.

List of Subjects in 43 CFR Part 3160

    Government contracts; Indians--lands; Mineral royalties; Oil and 
gas exploration; Penalties, Public lands--mineral resources; Surety 
bonds.

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Accordingly, 43 CFR part 3160 is corrected by making the following 
amendment:

PART 3160--ONSHORE OIL AND GAS OPERATIONS

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1. The authority citation for part 3160 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 25 U.S.C. 396d and 2107; 30 U.S.C. 189, 306, 359, and 
1751; and 43 U.S.C. 1732(b), 1733, and 1740.

Subpart 3163--Noncompliance, Assessments, and Penalties

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2. Revise section 3163.3 to read as follows:


Sec.  3163.3  Criminal penalties.

    Any person who commits an act for which a civil penalty is provided 
in Sec.  3163.2(f) shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not 
more than $50,000, or by imprisonment for not more than 2 years, or 
both.

    Dated: December 7, 2005.
Chad Calvert,
Acting Assistant Secretary of the Interior.
[FR Doc. 05-24371 Filed 12-21-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-M