§ 3173.1 Definitions and acronyms. ( a ) As used in this subpart, the term: *Access* means the ability to: ( i ) Add liquids to or remove liquids from any tank or piping system, through a valve or combination of valves or by moving liquids from one tank to another tank; or
( ii ) Enter any component in a measuring system affecting the accuracy of the measurement of the quality or quantity of the liquid being measured.
*Appropriate valves* means those valves that must be sealed during the production or sales phase (*e.g.,* fill lines, equalizer, overflow lines, sales lines, circulating lines, or drain lines).
*Authorized representative (AR)* has the same meaning as defined in 43 CFR 3160.0-5.
*Business day* means any day Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays.
*Commingling and allocation approval (CAA)* means a formal allocation agreement to combine production from two or more sources (leases, unit PAs, CAs, or non-Federal or non-Indian properties) before that product reaches an FMP.
*Economically marginal property* means a lease, unit PA, or CA that does not generate sufficient revenue above operating costs, such that a prudent operator would opt to plug a well or shut-in the lease, unit PA, or CA instead of making the investments needed to achieve non-commingled measurement of production from that lease, unit PA, or CA. A lease, unit PA, or CA may be regarded as economically marginal if the operator demonstrates that the expected revenue (net any associated operating costs) generated from crude oil or natural gas production volumes on that property is not sufficient to cover the nominal cost of the capital expenditures required to achieve measurement of non-commingled production of oil or gas from that property over a payout period of 18 months. A lease, unit PA, or CA can also be considered economically marginal if the operator demonstrates that its royalty net present value (RNPV), or the discounted value of the Federal or Indian royalties collected on revenue earned from crude oil or natural gas production on the lease, unit PA, or CA, over the expected life of the equipment that would need to be installed to achieve non-commingled measurement volumes, is less than the capital cost of purchasing and installing this equipment. Both the payout period and the RNPV are determined separately for each lease, unit PA, or CA oil or gas FMP. Additionally, oil FMPs are evaluated using estimated revenue (net of taxes and operating costs) from crude oil production, as defined in this section, while gas FMPs are evaluated using estimated revenue (net of taxes and operating costs) from natural gas production, as defined in this section.
*Effectively sealed* means the placement of a seal in such a manner that the sealed component cannot be accessed, moved, or altered without breaking the seal.
*Free water* means the measured volume of water that is present in a container and that is not in suspension in the contained liquid at observed temperature.
*Land description* means a location surveyed in accordance with the U.S. Department of the Interior's *Manual of Surveying Instructions* (2009), that includes the quarter-quarter section, section, township, range, and principal meridian, or other authorized survey designation acceptable to the AO, such as metes-and-bounds, or latitude and longitude.
*Maximum ultimate economic recovery* has the same meaning as defined in 43 CFR 3160.0-5.
*Mishandling* means failing to measure or account for removal of production from a facility.
*Payout period* means the time required, in months, for the cost of an investment in an oil or gas FMP for a specific lease, unit PA, or CA to be covered by the nominal revenue earned from crude oil production, for an oil FMP, or natural gas production, for a gas FMP, minus taxes, royalties, and any operating and variable costs. The payout period is determined separately for each oil or gas FMP for a given lease, unit PA, or CA.
*Permanent measurement facility* means all equipment constructed or installed and used on-site for 6 months or longer, for the purpose of determining the quantity, quality, or storage of production, and which meets the definition of FMP under § 3170.3.
*Piping* means a tubular system (*e.g.,* metallic, plastic, fiberglass, or rubber) used to move fluids (liquids and gases).
*Production phase* means that event during which oil is delivered directly to or through production equipment to the storage facilities and includes all operations at the facility other than those defined by the sales phase.
*Royalty Net Present Value (RNPV)* means the net present value of all Federal or Indian royalties paid on revenue earned from crude oil production or natural gas production from an oil or gas FMP for a given lease, unit PA, or CA over the expected life of metering equipment that must be installed for that lease, unit PA, or CA to achieve non-commingled measurement.
*Sales phase* means that event during which oil is removed from storage facilities for sale at an FMP.
*Seal* means a uniquely numbered device that completely secures either a valve or those components of a measuring system that affect the quality or quantity of the oil being measured.
( b ) As used in this subpart, the following additional acronyms apply: *BIA* means the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
*BMP* means Best Management Practice.