Department of the Interior September 28, 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This final rule updates the fees set forth in the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) mineral resources regulations for the processing of certain minerals program-related actions. It also adjusts certain filing fees for minerals-related documents. These updated fees include those for actions such as lease renewals and mineral patent adjudications.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is amending the regulations regarding oil and natural gas production safety systems. After a thorough reexamination of the current regulations, and consideration of recent experiences from implementation of those regulations and of public comments on the proposed rule to amend those regulations, BSEE is revising or removing certain regulatory provisions that create unnecessary burdens on stakeholders, and clarifying other provisions, while ensuring safety and environmental protection.

In this action, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is revising its regulations, as amended by the November 18, 2016, rule entitled, ``Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource Conservation,'' in a manner that reduces unnecessary compliance burdens, is consistent with the BLM's existing statutory authorities, and re-establishes longstanding requirements that had been replaced. The BLM is rescinding the novel requirements pertaining to waste-minimization plans, gas-capture percentages, well drilling, well completion and related operations, pneumatic controllers, pneumatic diaphragm pumps, storage vessels, and leak detection and repair (LDAR). The BLM is also revising other provisions related to venting and flaring and is adding provisions regarding deference to appropriate State or tribal regulation in determining when flaring of associated gas from oil wells will be royalty-free.