[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 210 (Wednesday, October 29, 2008)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 64205-64206]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-25815]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

30 CFR Parts 203 and 260

RIN 1010-AD29


Royalty Relief for Deepwater Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas 
Leases--Conforming Regulations to Court Decision

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service (MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Final rule; delay of effective date.

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SUMMARY: MMS is delaying until December 8, 2008, 60 days from the date 
of publication, the effective date of a rule that will conform the 
regulations at 30 CFR parts 203 and 260 to the Federal Court's decision 
in Santa Fe Snyder Corp. v. Norton, 385 F.3d 884 (5th Cir. 2004). This 
delay of effective date is necessary to comply with the Congressional 
review provisions of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness 
Act of 1996, 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq. (the Congressional Review Act).

DATES: The effective date of the rule amending 30 CFR parts 203 and 260 
published at 73 FR 58467, October 7, 2008 is delayed until December 8, 
2008.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marshall Rose, Chief, Economics 
Division, Minerals Management Service at (703) 787-1536.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The rule published October 7, 2008, amends 
30 CFR parts 203 and 260 to conform the regulations to the decision in 
Santa Fe Snyder. That decision found that certain provisions of the MMS 
regulations interpreting section 304 of the Deep Water Royalty Relief 
Act are contrary to the requirements of the statute. Under the rule, 
MMS will determine lessees' royalty under leases subject to Deep Water 
Royalty Relief Act section 304, for both past and future periods, in a 
manner consistent with the decision in Santa Fe Snyder. As stated in 
the preamble therein, the final rule has been determined to be both 
``major'' and ``economically significant.'' Accordingly, the 
Congressional Review Act requires that before this final rule can take 
effect, an agency shall submit the rule to Congress for review for a 
period of 60 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register 
or receipt of the rule by Congress, whichever is later. 5 U.S.C. 
801(a)(3)(A). This delay of the effective date will assure ample time 
for that required review.


[[Page 64206]]


    Dated: October 23, 2008.
C. Stephen Allred,
Assistant Secretary--Land and Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. E8-25815 Filed 10-28-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-P