---
kind: "section"
citation: "30 C.F.R. § 203.44"
title: "30"
number: "203.44"
heading: "What administrative steps must I take to use the royalty suspension volume?"
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/30/203.44"
---

# §203.44. What administrative steps must I take to use the royalty suspension volume?

- (a) You must notify the BSEE Regional Supervisor for Production and Development in writing of your intent to begin drilling operations on all deep wells and phase 1 ultra-deep wells; and
- (b) Within 30 days of the beginning of production from all wells that would become qualified wells by satisfying the requirements of this section, you must:
  - (1) Provide written notification to the BSEE Regional Supervisor for Production and Development that production has begun; and
  - (2) **Request confirmation of the size of the royalty suspension volume earned by your lease.**
- (c) Before beginning production, you must meet any production measurement requirements that the BSEE Regional Supervisor for Production and Development has determined are necessary under [30 CFR part 250](/cfr/30/part250.md), subpart L.
- (d) You must provide the information in [paragraph (b)](#b) of this section by January 20, 2009, if you produced before December 18, 2008, from a qualified deep well or qualified phase 1 ultra-deep well on a lease that is located entirely in water more than 200 meters and less than 400 meters deep.
- (e) The BSEE Regional Supervisor for Production and Development may extend the deadline for beginning production for up to one year for a well that cannot begin production before the applicable date prescribed in the definition of “qualified deep well” in [§ 203.0](/cfr/30/203.0.md) if it meets all of the following criteria.
  - (1) The well otherwise meets the criteria in the definition of a qualified deep well in [§ 203.0](/cfr/30/203.0.md).
  - (2) **The delay in production occurred after reaching total depth in the well.**
  - (3) Production (other than test production) was expected to begin from the well before the applicable deadline in the definition of a qualified deep well in [§ 203.0](/cfr/30/203.0.md). You must provide a credible activity schedule with supporting documentation.
  - (4) The delay in beginning production is for reasons beyond your control, such as adverse weather and accidents which BSEE deems were unavoidable.

## Notes

### Authority

Authority: 25 U.S.C. 396 et seq.; 25 U.S.C. 396a et seq.; 25 U.S.C. 2101 et seq.; 30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.; 30 U.S.C. 351 et seq.; 30 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.; 30 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 42 U.S.C. 15903-15906; 43 U.S.C. 1301 et seq.; 43 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.; and 43 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

### Source

Source: 76 FR 64462, Oct. 18, 2011, unless otherwise noted.