81 FR 19110 - Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource Conservation

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 64 (April 4, 2016)

On February 8, 2016, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published in the Federal Register a proposed rule that would reduce waste of natural gas from venting, flaring, and leaks during oil and natural gas production activities on onshore Federal and Indian leases. The proposed rule would also clarify when produced gas lost through venting, flaring, or leaks is subject to royalties, and when oil and gas production used on site would be royalty-free. The proposed rule would replace existing provisions related to venting, flaring, and royalty-free use of gas contained in the 1980 Notice to Lessees and Operators of Onshore Federal and Indian Oil and Gas Leases, Royalty or Compensation for Oil and Gas Lost (NTL-4A), which is over 3 decades old. Today's Federal Register Notice extends the public comment period for 14 days beyond the initial comment period deadline.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 64 (Monday, April 4, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 19110-19111]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07646]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

43 CFR Parts 3100, 3160, and 3170

[15X.LLWO300000.L13100000.NB0000]
RIN 1004-AE14


Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource 
Conservation

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: On February 8, 2016, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
published in the Federal Register a proposed rule that would reduce 
waste of natural gas from venting, flaring, and leaks during oil and 
natural gas production activities on onshore Federal and Indian leases. 
The proposed rule would also clarify when produced gas lost through 
venting, flaring, or leaks is subject to royalties, and when oil and 
gas production used on site would be royalty-free. The proposed rule 
would replace existing provisions related to venting, flaring, and 
royalty-free use of gas contained in the 1980 Notice to Lessees and 
Operators of Onshore Federal and Indian Oil and Gas Leases, Royalty or 
Compensation for Oil and Gas Lost (NTL-4A), which is over 3 decades 
old. Today's Federal Register Notice extends the public comment period 
for 14 days beyond the initial comment period deadline.

DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published on February 
8, 2016 (81 FR 6616) is extended. Send your comments on this proposed 
rule to the BLM on or before April 22, 2016. The BLM need not consider, 
or include in the administrative record for the final rule, comments 
that the BLM receives after the close of the comment period or comments 
delivered to an address other than those listed below (see ADDRESSES).

ADDRESSES: Mail: U.S. Department of the Interior, Director (630), 
Bureau of Land Management, Mail Stop 2134 LM, 1849 C St. NW., 
Washington, DC 20240, Attention: 1004-AE14. Personal or messenger 
delivery: Bureau of Land Management, 20 M Street SE., Room 2134 LM, 
Attention: Regulatory Affairs, Washington, DC 20003. Federal 
eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions 
at this Web site.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric Jones at the BLM Moab Field 
Office, 82 East Dogwood Ave., Moab, UT 84532, or by telephone at 435-
259-2117; or Timothy Spisak at the BLM Washington Office, 20 M Street 
SE., Room 2134LM, Washington, DC 20003, or by telephone at 202-912-
7311. For questions relating to regulatory process issues, please 
contact Faith Bremner, BLM Washington Office, at 202-912-7441. Persons 
who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the 
Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact 
the above individuals during normal business hours. FIRS is available 
24 hours a day, 7 days a week to leave a message or question with the 
above individuals. You will receive a reply during normal business 
hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Comment Procedures

    If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments by any one of 
the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section above. Please make your 
comments as specific as possible by confining them to issues directly 
related to the content of the proposed rule, and explain the basis for 
your comments. The comments and recommendations that will be most 
useful and likely to influence agency decisions are:
    1. Those supported by quantitative information or studies; and
    2. Those that include citations to, and analyses of, the applicable 
laws and regulations.
    The BLM is not obligated to consider or include in the 
Administrative Record for the rule comments received after the close of 
the comment period (see DATES) or comments delivered to an address 
other than those listed above (see ADDRESSES).
    Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review at the address listed under ADDRESSES 
during regular hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.), Monday through Friday, 
except holidays.
    Before including your address, telephone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised that 
your entire comment--including your personal identifying information--
may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask in your 
comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying 
information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Background

    The proposed rule was published on February 8, 2016 (81 FR 6616), 
with a 60-day comment period closing on April 8, 2016. Since 
publication, the BLM has received requests to extend the comment period 
on the proposed rule, as well as requests not to extend the comment 
period. Commenters requesting an extension cited the technical nature 
and complexity of the proposed rule; its potential interaction with the 
BLM's proposals to update and replace oil and gas production 
measurement rules currently found in Onshore Orders 3, 4, and 5; and 
the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed rule to establish 
standards for control of emissions of methane and volatile organic 
compounds (VOCs) from certain oil and gas production activities, which 
would be codified as 40 CFR part 60 subpart OOOOa.

[[Page 19111]]

Comments opposing an extension cited extensive pre-proposal activities 
to gather public input; the length of time already provided for public 
comments; what the commenters characterize as an urgent need to 
finalize updated rules to address ongoing losses of natural gas and 
royalty revenues; and the environmental impacts of venting and flaring 
of methane from oil and gas operations on Federal and Indian lands.
    After considering these requests, the BLM has determined that it is 
appropriate to grant the requests to extend the comment period for a 
limited time. The BLM is hereby extending the comment period on the 
proposed rule for 14 days. The closing date of the extended comment 
period is April 22, 2016.

Janice M. Schneider,
Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. 2016-07646 Filed 4-1-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-84-P