30 CFR 203.4 - How do the provisions in this part apply to different types of leases and projects?

View all text of Subpart A [§ 203.0 - § 203.5]

§ 203.4 - How do the provisions in this part apply to different types of leases and projects?

The tables in this section summarize the similar application and approval provisions for the discretionary end-of-life and deep water royalty relief programs in §§ 203.50 to 203.91. Because royalty relief for deep gas on leases not subject to deep water royalty relief, as provided for under §§ 203.40 to 203.48, does not involve an application, its provisions do not parallel the other two royalty relief programs and are not summarized in this section.

(a) We require the information elements indicated by an X in the following table and described in §§ 203.51, 203.62, and 203.81 through 203.89 for applications for royalty relief.

Information elements	End-of-life lease	Deep water			Expansion project	Pre-act lease	Development project	(1) Administrative information report	X	X	X	X	(2) Net revenue and relief justification report (prescribed format)	X				(3) Economic viability and relief justification report (Royalty Suspension Viability Program (RSVP) model inputs justified with Geological and Geophysical (G&G), Engineering, Production, & Cost reports)		X	X	X	(4) G&G report		X	X	X	(5) Engineering report		X	X	X	(6) Production report		X	X	X	(7) Deep water cost report		X	X	X

(b) We require the confirmation elements indicated by an X in the following table and described in §§ 203.70, 203.81, 203.90 and 203.91 to retain royalty relief.

Confirmation elements	End-of-life lease	Deep water			Expansion project	Pre-act lease	Development project	(1) Fabricator's confirmation report		X	X	X	(2) Post-production development report approved by an independent certified public accountant (CPA) * * *		X	X	X

(c) The following table indicates by an X, and §§ 203.50, 203.52, 203.60 and 203.67 describe, the prerequisites for our approval of your royalty relief application.

Approval conditions	End-of-life lease	Deep water			Expansion	Pre-act lease	Development project	(1) At least 12 of the last 15 months have the required level of production	X				(2) Already producing	X				(3) A producible well into a reservoir that has not produced before		X	X	X	(4) Royalties for qualifying months exceed 75 percent of net revenue (NR)	X				(5) Substantial investment on a pre-Act lease (e.g., platform, subsea template)					(6) Determined to be economic only with relief		X	X	X

(d) The following table indicates by an X, and §§ 203.52, 203.74, and 203.75 describe, the prerequisites for a redetermination of our royalty relief decision.

Redetermination conditions	End-of-life lease	Deep water			Expansion project	Pre-act lease	Development project	(1) After 12 months under current rate, criteria same as for approval	X				(2) For material change in geologic data, prices, costs, or available technology		X	X	X

(e) The following table indicates by an X, and §§ 203.53 and 203.69 describe, the characteristics of approved royalty relief.

Relief rate and volume, subject to certain conditions	End-of-life lease	Deep water			Expansion project	Pre-act lease	Development project	(1) One-half pre-application effective lease rate on the qualifying amount, 1.5 times pre-application effective lease rate on additional production up to twice the qualifying amount, and the pre-application effective lease rate for any larger volumes	X				(2) Qualifying amount is the average monthly production for 12 qualifying months	X				(3) Zero royalty rate on the suspension volume and the original lease rate on additional production		X	X	X	(4) Suspension volume is at least 17.5, 52.5 or 87.5 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMBOE)			X		(5) Suspension volume is at least the minimum set in the Notice of Sale, the lease, or the regulations		X		X	(6) Amount needed to become economic		X	X	X

(f) The following table indicates by an X, and §§ 203.54 and 203.78 describe, circumstances under which we discontinue your royalty relief.

Full royalty resumes when	End-of-life lease	Deep water			Expansion project	Pre-act lease	Development project	(1) Average NYMEX price for last 12 months is at least 25 percent above the average for the qualifying months.	X				(2) Average NYMEX price for last calendar year exceeds $28/bbl or $3.50/mcf, escalated by the gross domestic product (GDP) deflator since 1994		X	X		(3) Average prices for designated periods exceed levels we specify in the Notice of Sale or the lease		X		X

(g) The following table indicates by an X, and §§ 203.55, 203.76, and 203.77 describe, circumstances under which we end or reduce royalty relief.

Relief withdrawn or reduced	End-of-life lease	Deep water			Expansion project	Pre-act lease	Development project	(1) If recipient requests	X	X	X	X	(2) Lease royalty rate is at the effective rate for 12 consecutive months	X				(3) Conditions occur that we specified in the approval letter in individual cases	X				(4) Recipient does not submit post-production report that compares expected to actual costs		X	X	X	(5) Recipient changes development system		X	X	X	(6) Recipient excessively delays starting fabrication		X	X	X	(7) Recipient spends less than 80 percent of proposed pre-production costs prior to start of production		X	X	X	(8) Amount of relief volume is produced		X	X	X