Office of Natural Resources Revenue 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) regulations, ONRR provides two types of accounting and auditing relief for Federal oil and gas production from marginal properties: (1) The cumulative royalty reports and payments relief option, which allows a lessee or designee to submit one royalty report and payment for the calendar year's production; and (2) other requested relief, which allows a lessee or designee to request any type of accounting and auditing relief that is appropriate for production from the marginal property and meets certain requirements. By October 1 of each calendar year, ONRR provides a list of qualifying marginal Federal oil and gas properties to the States receiving a portion of Federal royalties from those properties. Each State then decides whether to participate in neither, one, or both relief options. This Notice provides the public each State's decision on whether to participate in marginal property relief.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (``PRA''), ONRR is proposing to renew an information collection. Currently, the information collection is authorized by the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') under OMB Control Number 1012-0003, which expires on December 31, 2021. Through this Information Collection Request (``ICR''), ONRR seeks renewed authority to collect information to review and approve a delegation proposal from a State that is seeking to perform royalty management functions and to prepare a cooperative agreement with a State or Indian Tribe seeking to perform royalty audits and investigations.

ONRR is withdrawing the ONRR 2020 Valuation Reform and Civil Penalty Rule (``2020 Rule'').

ONRR is proposing to withdraw the final rule entitled ``ONRR 2020 Valuation Reform and Civil Penalty Rule'' (``2020 Rule''). This action opens a 60-day comment period to allow interested parties to comment on ONRR's proposed withdrawal of the 2020 Rule.

In accordance the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (``PRA''), ONRR is proposing to renew an information collection. Currently, this information collection is authorized by the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') under OMB Control Number 1012-0002, which expires on February 28, 2022. This Information Collection Request (``ICR'') pertains to the valuation of oil and gas produced from leases on Indian lands, Indian oil and gas royalties, and required recordkeeping for oil and gas valuation and royalties for Indian Tribes and allottees. ONRR uses forms ONRR-4109, ONRR-4110, ONRR-4295, ONRR-4393, ONRR-4410, and ONRR-4411 as part of these information collection requirements.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (``PRA''), ONRR is proposing to renew an information collection. Currently, the information collection is authorized by the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') under OMB Control Number 1012-0003, which expires on December 31, 2021. ONRR uses the information collected under this Information Collection Request (``ICR'') both to review and approve delegation proposals from a State that is seeking to perform royalty management functions and to prepare a cooperative agreement with a State or Indian tribe seeking to perform royalty audits and investigations.

In accordance with the January 20, 2021 White House Memorandum on Regulatory Freeze Pending Review and the Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-21-14 of the same date, this action delays the effective date of the final rule entitled ``ONRR 2020 Valuation Reform and Civil Penalty Rule'' that published in the Federal Register on January 15, 2021 (``2020 Rule''). In addition, this action opens a 30- day comment period to allow interested parties to comment on the impact of the delay to the 2020 Rule's effective date as well as issues of fact, law, and policy raised by that rule.