§203.40. Which leases are eligible for royalty relief as a result of drilling a deep well or a phase 1 ultra-deep well? — Inbound Citations

(5) For which you have provided the notices and information required under § 203.47.

Complete application means an original and two copies of the six reports consisting of the data specified in §§ 203.81, 203.83, and 203.85 through 203.89, along with one set of digital information, which Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has reviewed and found complete.

Deep well means either an original well or a sidetrack with a perforated interval the top of which is at least 15,000 feet TVD SS and less than 20,000 feet TVD SS. A deep well subsequently re-perforated at less than 15,000 feet TVD SS in the same reservoir is still a deep well.

Determination means the binding decision by BSEE on whether your field qualifies for relief or how large a royalty-suspension volume must be to make the field economically viable.

Development project means a project to develop one or more oil or gas reservoirs located on one or more contiguous leases that have had no production (other than test production) before the current application for royalty relief and are either:

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) To qualify for a suspension volume under paragraphs (b) or (c) of this section, your lease must meet the requirements in § 203.40 and the requirements in the following table.

(a) Subject to the requirements of §§ 203.40, 203.43, 203.45, 203.47, and 203.48 you must apply an RSS in § 203.45 to the earliest oil and gas production:

(1) Occurring on and after the day you file the information under § 203.47(b),

(2) From, or allocated under a BSEE-approved unit agreement to, the lease on which the certified unsuccessful well was drilled, without regard to the drilling depth of the well producing the gas or oil.

(a) You must pay royalties on all gas and oil production for which an RSV or an RSS otherwise would be allowed under §§ 203.40 through 203.47 for any calendar year when the average daily closing NYMEX natural gas price exceeds the applicable threshold price shown in the following table.

(a) You may exercise an option to replace the applicable lease terms for royalty relief related to deep-well drilling with those in § 203.0 and §§ 203.40 through 203.48 if you have a lease issued with royalty relief provisions for deep-well drilling. Such leases:

(1) Must be issued as part of an OCS lease sale held after January 1, 2001, and before April 1, 2004; and

(2) Must be located wholly west of 87 degrees, 30 minutes West longitude in the GOA entirely or partly in water less than 200 meters deep.

(d) If the lease has earned or may earn deep gas royalty relief under §§ 203.40 through 203.49 or ultra-deep gas royalty relief under §§ 203.30 through 203.36, we will take the deep gas royalty relief or ultra-deep gas royalty relief into account in determining whether further royalty relief for a development project is necessary for production to be economic.