Onshore Order rulemaking update: BLM extends comment periods, announces series of public meetings to review proposals, gather additional information
Organization:
Media Contact:
WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Land Management announced today that it will hold a series of public meetings on its three proposed rules to update and replace its Onshore Oil and Gas Orders 3, 4, and 5.
The public meetings will be held at the beginning of December in Colorado, Oklahoma, and North Dakota:
- December 1, 2015, at 1:00 p.m. Double Tree by Hilton, 501 Camino Del Rio, Durango, CO 81301.
- December 3, 2015, at 1:00 p.m. Renaissance Oklahoma City Convention Center Hotel, 10 N Broadway Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73102.
- December 8, 2015, at 1:00 p.m. Astoria Hotel and Event Center, 363 15th St W., Dickinson, ND 58601.
In connection with these meetings, the BLM has reopened the comment period for the proposed rule to replace Onshore Order 3, effective November 20, 2015, through December 14, 2015. The BLM has also extended the comment period for the proposed rule to replace Onshore Order 4 until December 14, 2015. Today’s announcement means that the comment periods for all three proposed rules will now close on December 14, 2015. The Federal Register notice announcing these changes will be published on November 23, 2015.
“The BLM held a similar set of meetings in 2013, and the input we received was invaluable in drafting the proposed rules,” said BLM Director Neil Kornze. “We look forward to continued engagement with stakeholders at these upcoming meetings.”
Order 3 establishes standards to ensure that oil and gas are properly and securely handled to prevent theft and loss and to enable accurate measurement and production accountability. Orders 4 and 5 establish minimum standards for the accurate measurement of all oil and gas, respectively. Like the existing orders, the purpose of the proposed rules is to ensure that the oil and gas produced from Federal and Indian leases (except Osage Tribe) are accurately measured and accounted for, so that the proper royalties due are paid. Royalties are split between the Federal treasury and the State where the production occurs. Indian tribes and individual Indian allotment owners keep 100 percent of the royalties collected from leases on their lands.
These rulemakings are underway because Onshore Orders 3, 4, and 5 were put in place in 1989 and have not been updated since. As a result, they do not reflect modern measurement techniques. The requirements contained in the proposed rules reflect advances in technology, as well as critical updates in industry standards and practices. These proposals also respond directly to concerns from the Government Accountability Office, the Department of the Interior’s Office of Inspector General, and the Secretary’s Subcommittee on Royalty Management.
For the text of the three proposed regulations and information on how to attend the meetings, go to https://www.doi.gov.
Comments on the proposed rule may be submitted by any of the following means:
- Mail to U.S. Department of the Interior, Director (630), Bureau of Land Management, Mail Stop 2134LM, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240,
- Attention: 1004-AE15 (for Site Security),
- 1004-AE16 (for Oil Measurement), or
- 1004-AE17 (for Gas Measurement), or
- Via the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions at this website.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.