[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 192 (Thursday, October 5, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 46458-46475]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21294]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

43 CFR Parts 3160 and 3170

[17X.LLWO310000.L13100000.PP0000]
RIN 1004-AE54


Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource 
Conservation; Delay and Suspension of Certain Requirements

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: On November 18, 2016, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
published in the Federal Register a final rule entitled, ``Waste 
Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource 
Conservation'' (2016 final rule). The BLM is now proposing to 
temporarily suspend or delay certain requirements contained in the 2016 
final rule until January 17, 2019. The BLM is currently reviewing the 
2016 final rule and wants to avoid imposing temporary or permanent 
compliance costs on operators for requirements that may be rescinded or 
significantly revised in the near future.

DATES: Send your comments on this proposed rule to the BLM on or before 
November 6, 2017. As explained later, the BLM is also requesting that 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) extend the control number 
(1004-0211) for the 24 information collection activities that would 
continue in this proposed rule. If you wish to comment on this request, 
please note that such comments should be sent directly to the OMB, and 
that the OMB is required to make a decision concerning the collection 
of information contained in this proposed rule between 30 and 60 days 
after publication of this document in the Federal Register. Therefore, 
a comment to the OMB on the proposed information collection revisions 
is best assured of being given full consideration if the OMB receives 
it by November 6, 2017.

ADDRESSES: 
    Mail: U.S. Department of the Interior, Director (630), Bureau of 
Land Management, Mail Stop 2134LM, 1849 C St. NW., Washington, DC 
20240, Attention: 1004-AE52.
    Personal or messenger delivery: U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Bureau of Land Management, 20 M Street SE., Room 2134 LM, Washington, 
DC 20003, Attention: Regulatory Affairs.
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. In the 
Searchbox, enter ``RIN 1004-AE54'' and click the ``Search'' button. 
Follow the instructions at this Web site. Comments on the information 
collection burdens: Fax: Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office 
of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Desk Officer for the Department 
of the Interior, fax 202-395-5806.
    Electronic mail: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#36797f6477696543545b5f45455f595876595b541853594618515940"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5f10160d1e000c2a3d32362c2c3630311f30323d713a302f71383029">[email protected]</span></a>. Please indicate 
``Attention: OMB Control Number 1004-0211,'' regardless of the method 
used to submit comments on the information collection burdens. If you 
submit comments on the information collection burdens, you should 
provide the BLM with a copy, at one of the addresses shown earlier in 
this section, so that we can summarize all written comments and address 
them in the final rule preamble.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Catherine Cook, Acting Division Chief, 
Fluid Minerals Division, 202-912-7145, or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d2b1b1bdbdb992b0bebffcb5bda4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b8dbdbd7d7d3f8dad4d596dfd7ce">[email protected]</span></a>, for 
information regarding the substance of this proposed rule or 
information about the BLM's Fluid Minerals program. For questions 
relating to regulatory process issues, contact Faith Bremner, 
Regulatory Analyst, at 202-912-7441, or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b3d5d1c1d6deddd6c1f3d1dfde9dd4dcc5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="57313525323a39322517353b3a79303821">[email protected]</span></a>. Persons who 
use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339, 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:

I. Public Comment Procedures
II. Background
III. Discussion of the Proposed Rule
IV. Procedural Matters

I. Public Comment Procedures

    If you wish to comment on this proposed rule, you may submit your 
comments by any of the methods described in the ADDRESSES section.
    Please make your comments on the proposed rule as specific as 
possible, confine them to issues pertinent to the proposed rule, and 
explain the reason for any changes you recommend. Where possible, your 
comments should reference the specific section or paragraph of the 
proposal that you are addressing. The BLM is not obligated to consider 
or include in the Administrative Record for the final rule comments 
that we receive 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: 
Personal or messenger delivery'' 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 us in your comment to 
withhold from public review your personal identifying information, we

[[Page 46459]]

cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

II. Background

    The BLM's onshore oil and gas management program is a major 
contributor to our nation's oil and gas production. The BLM manages 
more than 245 million acres of Federal land and 700 million acres of 
subsurface estate, making up nearly a third of the nation's mineral 
estate. In fiscal year (FY) 2016, sales volumes from Federal onshore 
production lands accounted for 9 percent of domestic natural gas 
production, and 5 percent of total U.S. oil production. Over $1.9 
billion in royalties were collected from all oil, natural gas, and 
natural gas liquids transactions in FY 2016 on Federal and Indian 
Lands. Royalties from Federal lands are shared with States. Royalties 
from Indian lands are collected for the benefit of the Indian owners.
    In response to oversight reviews and a recognition of increased 
flaring from Federal and Indian leases, the BLM developed a final rule 
entitled, ``Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and 
Resource Conservation,'' which was published in the Federal Register on 
November 18, 2016. See 81 FR 83008 (Nov. 18, 2016). The rule replaced 
the BLM's existing policy at that time, Notice to Lessees and Operators 
of Onshore Federal and Indian Oil and Gas Leases, Royalty or 
Compensation for Oil and Gas Lost (NTL-4A). The 2016 final rule was 
intended to: Reduce waste of natural gas from venting, flaring, and 
leaks during oil and natural gas production activities on onshore 
Federal and Indian leases; clarify when produced gas lost through 
venting, flaring, or leaks is subject to royalties; and clarify when 
oil and gas production may be used royalty-free on-site. The 2016 final 
rule became effective on January 17, 2017. Many of the final rule's 
provisions are to be phased in over time, and are to become operative 
on January 17, 2018.
    Immediately after the 2016 final rule was issued, industry groups 
and States with significant BLM-managed Federal and Indian minerals 
filed petitions for judicial review. The petitioners in this litigation 
are the Western Energy Alliance (WEA), the Independent Petroleum 
Association of America, the State of Wyoming, the State of Montana, the 
State of North Dakota, and the State of Texas. This litigation has been 
consolidated and is now pending in the U.S. District Court for the 
District of Wyoming. Wyoming v. U.S. Dep't of the Interior, Case No. 
2:16-cv-00285-SWS (D. Wyo.); W. Energy All. v. Zinke, Case No. 16-cv-
280-SWS (D. Wyo.). Petitioners assert that the BLM was arbitrary and 
capricious in promulgating the 2016 final rule and that the rule 
exceeds the BLM's statutory authority. Shortly after filing petitions 
for judicial review, petitioners filed motions for a preliminary 
injunction, seeking a stay of the rule pending the outcome of the 
litigation. These motions were denied by the court on January 16, 2017, 
and the rule went into effect the following day. Although the court 
denied the motions for a preliminary injunction, it did express 
concerns that the BLM may have ``usurp[ed]'' the authority of the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the States under the Clean 
Air Act, and questioned whether it was appropriate for the 2016 final 
rule to be justified based on its environmental and societal benefits, 
rather than on its resource conservation benefits alone. The next stage 
in the litigation will be the court's consideration of the merits of 
the petitioner's claims. It is possible that the court's decision on 
these claims could result in the 2016 final rule being overturned. On 
June 15, 2017, the Department of the Interior (Department) issued a 
Federal Register notice, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 705, postponing the 
January 2018 compliance dates of the 2016 final rule pending judicial 
review. 82 FR 27430 (June 15, 2017).
    In the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) for the 2016 final rule, 
the BLM estimated that the requirements of the 2016 final rule would 
impose compliance costs, not including potential cost savings for 
product recovery, of approximately $114 million to $279 million per 
year (2016 RIA at 4). The BLM had concluded that, while many of the 
requirements were consistent with EPA regulations for new sources, 
current industry practice, or similar to the requirements found in some 
existing State regulations, the 2016 final rule would be an 
economically significant rule with estimated costs and benefits 
exceeding $100 million per year (2016 RIA at 138). Comments received by 
many oil and gas companies and trade associations representing members 
of the oil and gas industry suggested that the BLM's proposed and final 
rules were unnecessary and would cause substantial harm to the 
industry. During the litigation following the issuance of the 2016 
final rule, the petitioners argued that the BLM underestimated the 
compliance costs of the final rule and that the costs would drive the 
industry away from Federal and Indian lands, thereby reducing royalties 
and harming State and tribal economies. The petitioners also argued 
that the final rule would cause marginal wells to be shut-in, thereby 
ceasing production and reducing economic benefits to local, State, 
tribal, and Federal governments. The BLM is concerned that the RIA for 
the 2016 final rule may have underestimated costs and overestimated 
benefits, and is therefore presently reviewing that analysis for 
potential inaccuracies. In any event, the RIA for the 2016 rule 
indicates that the rule poses a substantial burden on industry, 
particularly those requirements that are set to become effective on 
January 17, 2018.
    Since late January 2017, the President has issued several Executive 
Orders that necessitate a review of the 2016 final rule by the 
Department. On January 30, 2017, the President issued Executive Order 
13771, entitled, ``Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory 
Costs,'' which requires Federal agencies to take proactive measures to 
reduce the costs associated with complying with Federal regulations. In 
addition, on March 28, 2017, the President issued Executive Order 
13783, entitled, ``Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth.'' 
Section 7(b) of Executive Order 13783 directs the Secretary of the 
Interior to review four specific rules, including the 2016 final rule, 
for consistency with the policy articulated in section 1 of the Order 
and, ``if appropriate,'' to publish proposed rules suspending, 
revising, or rescinding those rules. Among other things, section 1 of 
Executive Order 13783 states that ``[i]t is in the national interest to 
promote clean and safe development of our Nation's vast energy 
resources, while at the same time avoiding regulatory burdens that 
unnecessarily encumber energy production, constrain economic growth, 
and prevent job creation.''
    To implement Executive Order 13783, Secretary of the Interior Ryan 
Zinke issued Secretarial Order No. 3349, entitled, ``American Energy 
Independence'' on March 29, 2017, which, among other things, directs 
the BLM to review the 2016 final rule to determine whether it is fully 
consistent with the policy set forth in section 1 of Executive Order 
13783. The BLM conducted an initial review of the 2016 final rule and 
found that it appears to be inconsistent with the policy in section 1 
of Executive Order 13783. The BLM found that some provisions of the 
rule appear to add regulatory burdens that unnecessarily encumber 
energy production, constrain economic growth, and prevent job creation. 
Following up on its initial review, the BLM is currently reviewing the 
2016 final rule to develop an appropriate proposed

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revision--to be promulgated through notice-and-comment rulemaking--that 
would propose to align the 2016 final rule with the policies set forth 
in section 1 of Executive Order 13783.

III. Discussion of the Proposed Rule

A. Summary and Request for Comment

    Today, the BLM is proposing to temporarily suspend or delay certain 
requirements contained in the 2016 final rule until January 17, 2019. 
The BLM is currently reviewing the 2016 final rule, as directed by the 
aforementioned Executive Orders and by Secretarial Order No. 3349. The 
BLM wants to avoid imposing temporary or permanent compliance costs on 
operators for requirements that might be rescinded or significantly 
revised in the near future. The BLM also wishes to avoid expending 
scarce agency resources on implementation activities (internal 
training, operator outreach/education, developing clarifying guidance, 
etc.) for such potentially transitory requirements.
    For certain requirements in the 2016 final rule that have yet to be 
implemented, this proposed rule would temporarily postpone the 
implementation dates until January 17, 2019, or for one year. For 
certain requirements in the 2016 final rule that are currently in 
effect, this proposed rule would temporarily suspend their 
effectiveness until January 17, 2019. A detailed discussion of the 
proposed suspensions and delays is provided below. The BLM has 
attempted to tailor the proposed rule so as to target the requirements 
of the 2016 final rule for which immediate regulatory relief appears to 
be particularly justified. Although the requirements of the 2016 final 
rule that would not be suspended under the proposed rule may ultimately 
be revised in the near future, the BLM is not proposing to suspend them 
because it does not, at this time, believe that suspension is 
necessary.
    The BLM promulgated the 2016 final rule, and now proposes to 
suspend and delay certain provisions of that rule, pursuant to its 
authority under the following statutes: The Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 
(30 U.S.C. 188-287), the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands (30 
U.S.C. 351-360), the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act (30 
U.S.C. 1701-1758), the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
(43 U.S.C. 1701-1785), the Indian Mineral Leasing Act of 1938 (25 
U.S.C. 396a-g), the Indian Mineral Development Act of 1982 (25 U.S.C. 
2101-2108), and the Act of March 3, 1909 (25 U.S.C. 396). See 81 FR 
83008 and 83019-83021 (Nov. 18, 2016). These statutes authorize the 
Secretary of the Interior to promulgate such rules and regulations as 
may be necessary to carry out the statutes' various purposes.\1\ The 
Federal and Indian mineral leasing statutes share a common purpose of 
promoting the development of Federal and Indian oil and gas resources 
for the financial benefit of the public and Indian mineral owners.\2\ 
In order to ensure that the development of Federal and Indian oil and 
gas resources will not be unnecessarily hindered by regulatory burdens, 
the BLM is exercising its inherent authority \3\ to reconsider the 2016 
final rule. The suspension of requirements proposed today is a part of 
the BLM's reconsideration process.
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    \1\ 30 U.S.C. 189 (MLA); 30 U.S.C. 359 (MLAAL); 30 U.S.C. 
1751(a) (FOGRMA); 43 U.S.C. 1740 (FLPMA); 25 U.S.C. 396d (IMLA); 25 
U.S.C. 2107 (IMDA); 25 U.S.C. 396.
    \2\ See, e.g., California Co. v. Udall, 296 F.2d 384, 388 (D.C. 
Cir. 1961) (noting that the MLA was intended to promote wise 
development of . . . natural resources and to obtain for the public 
a reasonable financial return on assets that `belong' to the 
public.'').
    \3\ See Ivy Sports Med., LLC v. Burwell, 767 F.3d 81, 86 (D.C. 
Cir. 2014) (noting ``oft-repeated'' principle that the ``power to 
reconsider is inherent in the power to decide'').
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    The BLM seeks comment on this proposed rule. Issues of particular 
interest to the BLM include the necessity of the proposed suspensions 
and delays, the costs and benefits associated with the proposed 
suspensions and delays, and whether suspension of other requirements of 
the 2016 rule is warranted. The BLM is also interested in the 
appropriate length of the proposed suspension and delays and would like 
to know whether the period should be longer or shorter (e.g., six 
months, 18 months, or 2 years). The BLM has allowed a 30-day comment 
period for this proposed rule, which the BLM believes will afford the 
public a meaningful opportunity to comment. This proposed rule is a 
straightforward suspension and delay of regulatory provisions that were 
(in a proposed form) themselves recently the object of public comment 
procedures. Because this proposal is a narrow one, involving a simple 
and temporary suspension and delay of regulatory provisions with which 
interested parties are likely already familiar, the BLM believes that 
the 30-day comment period is appropriate.

B. Section-by-Section Discussion

43 CFR 3162.3-1(j)--Drilling Applications and Plans
    In the 2016 final rule, the BLM added a paragraph (j) to 43 CFR 
3162.3-1, which presently requires that when submitting an Application 
for Permit to Drill (APD) for an oil well, an operator must also submit 
a waste-minimization plan. Submission of the plan is required for 
approval of the APD, but the plan is not itself part of the APD, and 
the terms of the plan are not enforceable against the operator. The 
purpose of the waste-minimization plan is for the operator to set forth 
a strategy for how the operator will comply with the requirements of 43 
CFR subpart 3179 regarding the control of waste from venting and 
flaring from oil wells.
    The waste-minimization plan must include information regarding: The 
anticipated completion date(s) of the proposed oil well(s); a 
description of anticipated production from the well(s); certification 
that the operator has provided one or more midstream processing 
companies with information about the operator's production plans, 
including the anticipated completion dates and gas production rates of 
the proposed well or wells; and identification of a gas pipeline to 
which the operator plans to connect. Additional information is required 
when an operator cannot identify a gas pipeline with sufficient 
capacity to accommodate the anticipated production from the proposed 
well, including: A gas pipeline system location map showing the 
proposed well(s); the name and location of the gas processing plant(s) 
closest to the proposed well(s); all existing gas trunklines within 20 
miles of the well, and proposed routes for connection to a trunkline; 
the total volume of produced gas, and percentage of total produced gas, 
that the operator is currently venting or flaring from wells in the 
same field and any wells within a 20-mile radius of that field; and a 
detailed evaluation, including estimates of costs and returns, of 
potential on-site capture approaches.
    In the RIA for the 2016 final rule, the BLM estimated that the 
administrative burden of the waste-minimization plan requirements would 
be roughly $1 million per year for the industry and $180,000 per year 
for the BLM (2016 RIA at 96 and 100). The BLM is currently reviewing 
the requirements of Sec.  3162.3-1(j) in order to determine whether the 
burden it imposes on operators is necessary and whether this burden can 
be reduced. The BLM is also evaluating whether there are circumstances 
in which compliance with Sec.  3162.3-1(j) is infeasible because some 
of the required information is in the possession of a midstream company 
that is not in a position to share it with the operator. The BLM is 
considering narrowing the required information and

[[Page 46461]]

is also considering whether submission of a State waste-minimization 
plan, such as those required by New Mexico and North Dakota, would 
serve the purpose of Sec.  3162.3-1(j). While the BLM conducts this 
review and considers revising Sec.  3162.3-1, the BLM does not believe 
that generating and reviewing lengthy, unenforceable waste-minimization 
plans is a prudent use of operator or BLM resources. The BLM is 
therefore proposing to suspend the waste minimization plan requirement 
of Sec.  3162.3-1(j) until January 17, 2019.
    This proposed rule would revise Sec.  3162.3-1 by adding 
``Beginning January 17, 2019'' to the beginning of paragraph (j). The 
rest of this paragraph would remain the same as in the 2016 final rule 
and the introductory paragraph is repeated in the proposed rule text 
only for context.
43 CFR 3179.7--Gas Capture Requirement
    In the 2016 final rule, the BLM sought to constrain routine flaring 
through the imposition of a ``capture percentage'' requirement, 
requiring operators to capture a certain percentage of the gas they 
produce, after allowing for a certain volume of flaring per well. The 
capture-percentage requirement would become more stringent over a 
period of years, beginning with an 85 percent capture requirement 
(5,400 Mcf per well flaring allowable) in January 2018, and eventually 
reaching a 98 percent capture requirement (750 Mcf per well flaring 
allowable) in January 2026. An operator would choose whether to comply 
with the capture targets on each of the operator's leases, units or 
communitized areas, or on a county-wide or state-wide basis.
    In the RIA for the 2016 final rule, the BLM estimated that this 
requirement would impose costs of up to $162 million per year and 
generate cost savings from product recovery of up to $124 million per 
year, with both costs and cost savings increasing as the requirements 
increased in stringency (2016 RIA at 49).
    The BLM is currently considering whether the capture-percentage 
requirement of Sec.  3179.7 is unnecessarily complex and whether it 
will, in fact, be a significant improvement on the requirements of NTL-
4A. The BLM is considering whether the NTL-4A framework can be applied 
in a manner that addresses any inappropriate levels of flaring, and 
whether market-based incentives (i.e., royalty obligations) could 
improve capture in a more straightforward and efficient manner. 
Finally, the BLM is considering whether the need for a complex capture-
percentage requirement could be obviated through other BLM efforts to 
facilitate pipeline development. Rather than require operators to 
institute new processes and adjust their plans for development to meet 
a capture-percentage requirement that may be rescinded or revised as a 
result of the BLM's review, the BLM is proposing to delay for one year 
the compliance dates for Sec.  3179.7's capture requirements. This 
delay would allow the BLM sufficient time to conduct notice-and-comment 
rulemaking to determine whether the capture percentage requirements 
should be rescinded or revised and would prevent operators from being 
unnecessarily burdened by regulatory requirements that are subject to 
change.
    This proposed rule would revise the compliance dates in paragraphs 
(b), (b)(1) through (b)(4), and (c)(2)(i) through (vii) of Sec.  3179.7 
to begin January 17, 2019. Paragraphs (c), (c)(1), and the introductory 
text of (c)(2) would remain the same as in the 2016 final rule and are 
repeated in the proposed rule text only for context.
43 CFR 3179.9--Measuring and Reporting Volumes of Gas Vented and Flared 
From Wells
    Section 3179.9 requires operators to estimate (using estimation 
protocols) or measure (using a metering device) all flared and vented 
gas, whether royalty-bearing or royalty-free. This section further 
provides that specific requirements apply when the operator is flaring 
50 Mcf or more of gas per day from a high-pressure flare stack or 
manifold, based on estimated volumes from the previous 12 months, or 
based on estimated volumes over the life of the flare, whichever is 
shorter. Beginning on January 17, 2018, if this volume threshold is 
met, Sec.  3179.9(b) would require the operator to measure the volume 
of the flared gas, or calculate the volume of the flared gas based on 
the results of a regularly performed gas-to-oil ratio test, so as to 
allow the BLM to independently verify the volume, rate, and heating 
value of the flared gas.
    In the RIA for the 2016 final rule, the BLM estimated that this 
requirement would impose costs of about $4 million to $7 million per 
year (2016 RIA at 52).
    The BLM is presently reviewing Sec.  3179.9 to determine whether 
the additional accuracy associated with the measurement and estimation 
required by Sec.  3179.9(b) justifies the burden it would place on 
operators. The BLM is considering whether it would make more sense to 
allow the BLM to require measurement or estimation on a case-by-case 
basis, rather than imposing a blanket requirement on all operators. In 
order to avoid unnecessary compliance costs on the part of operators, 
the BLM is proposing to delay the compliance date in Sec.  3179.9 until 
January 17, 2019.
    This proposed rule would revise the compliance date in Sec.  
3179.9(b)(1). The rest of paragraph (b)(1) would remain the same as in 
the 2016 final rule and is repeated in the proposed rule text only for 
context.
43 CFR 3179.10--Determinations Regarding Royalty-Free Flaring
    Section 3179.10(a) provides that approvals to flare royalty free 
that were in effect as of January 17, 2017, will continue in effect 
until January 17, 2018. The purpose of this provision was to provide a 
transition period for operators who were operating under existing 
approvals for royalty-free flaring. Because the BLM's review of the 
2016 final rule could result in rescission or substantial revision of 
the rule, the BLM believes that terminating pre-existing flaring 
approvals in January 2018 would be premature and disruptive and would 
introduce needless regulatory uncertainty for operators with existing 
flaring approvals. The BLM is therefore proposing to extend the end of 
the transition period provided for in Sec.  3179.10(a) to January 17, 
2019.
    This proposed rule would revise the date in paragraph (a) and 
replace ``as of the effective date of this rule'' with ``as of January 
17, 2017,'' which is the effective date of the 2016 final rule, for 
clarity. This proposed rule would not otherwise revise paragraph (a), 
but the rest of the paragraph would remain the same as in the 2016 
final rule and is repeated in the proposed rule text only for context.
43 CFR 3179.101--Well Drilling
    Section 3179.101(a) requires that gas reaching the surface as a 
normal part of drilling operations be used or disposed of in one of 
four ways: (1) Captured and sold; (2) Directed to a flare pit or flare 
stack; (3) Used in the operations on the lease, unit, or communitized 
area; or (4) Injected. Section 3179.101(a) also specifies that gas may 
not be vented, except under the circumstances specified in Sec.  
3179.6(b) or when it is technically infeasible to use or dispose of the 
gas in one of the ways specified above. Section 3179.101(b) states that 
gas lost as a result of a loss of well control will be classified as 
avoidably lost if the BLM determines that the loss of well control was 
due to operator negligence.
    The BLM is currently reviewing Sec.  3179.101 to determine whether 
it is

[[Page 46462]]

necessary in light of current operator practices. The experience of BLM 
field office personnel indicates that operators would typically dispose 
of gas during well drilling consistent with Sec.  3179.101(a). The 
primary effect of Sec.  3179.101, therefore, may be to impose a 
regulatory constraint on operators in exceptional circumstances where 
the operator must make a case-specific judgment about how to safely and 
effectively dispose of the gas. The BLM is therefore proposing to 
suspend the effectiveness of Sec.  3179.101 until January 17, 2019, 
while the BLM completes its review of Sec.  3179.101 and decides 
whether to propose permanently revising or rescinding it through 
notice-and-comment rulemaking.
    This proposed rule would add a new paragraph (c) making it clear 
that the operator must comply with Sec.  3179.101 beginning January 17, 
2019.
43 CFR 3179.102--Well Completion and Related Operations
    Section 3179.102 addresses gas that reaches the surface during 
well-completion, post-completion, and fluid-recovery operations after a 
well has been hydraulically fractured or refractured. It requires the 
gas to be used or disposed of in one of four ways: (1) Captured and 
sold; (2) Directed to a flare pit or stack, subject to a volumetric 
limitation in Sec.  3179.103; (3) Used in the lease operations; or (4) 
Injected. Section 3179.102 specifies that gas may not be vented, except 
under the narrow circumstances specified in Sec.  3179.6(b) or when it 
is technically infeasible to use or dispose of the gas in one of the 
four ways specified above. Section 3179.102(b) provides that an 
operator will be deemed to be in compliance with its gas capture and 
disposition requirements if the operator is in compliance with the 
requirements for control of gas from well completions established under 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations 40 CFR part 60, 
subparts OOOO or OOOOa regulations, or if the well is not a ``well 
affected facility'' under those regulations.
    The BLM is currently reviewing Sec.  3179.102 to determine whether 
it is necessary in light of current operator practices and the 
analogous EPA regulations in 40 CFR part 60, subparts OOOO and OOOOa. 
The experience of BLM field office personnel indicates that operators 
would typically dispose of gas during well completions and related 
operations consistent with Sec.  3179.102(a). The BLM also suspects 
that most of the well completions and related operations that would 
otherwise be covered by Sec.  3179.102 are actually exempted under 
Sec.  3179.102(b). Considering current industry practice and the 
overlap with EPA regulations, the primary effect of Sec.  3179.102 may 
be to generate confusion about regulatory compliance during well-
drilling and related operations. The BLM is therefore proposing to 
suspend the effectiveness of Sec.  3179.102 until January 17, 2019, 
while the BLM completes its review of Sec.  3179.102 and decides 
whether to permanently revise or rescind it through notice-and-comment 
rulemaking.
    This proposed rule would add a new paragraph (e) making it clear 
that operators must comply with Sec.  3179.102 beginning January 17, 
2019.
43 CFR 3179.201--Equipment Requirements for Pneumatic Controllers
    Section 3179.201 addresses pneumatic controllers that use natural 
gas produced from a Federal or Indian lease, or from a unit or 
communitized area that includes a Federal or Indian lease. Section 
3179.201 applies to such controllers if the controllers: (1) Have a 
continuous bleed rate greater than 6 standard cubic feet per hour (scf/
hour) (``high-bleed'' controllers); and (2) Are not covered by EPA 
regulations that prohibit the new use of high-bleed pneumatic 
controllers (40 CFR part 60, subparts OOOO or OOOOa), but would be 
subject to those regulations if the controllers were new, modified, or 
reconstructed sources. Section 3179.201(b) requires the applicable 
pneumatic controllers to be replaced with controllers (including, but 
not limited to, continuous or intermittent pneumatic controllers) 
having a bleed rate of no more than 6 scf/hour, subject to certain 
exceptions. Section 3179.201(d) requires that this replacement occur no 
later than January 17, 2018, or within 3 years from the effective date 
of the rule if the well or facility served by the controller has an 
estimated remaining productive life of 3 years or less.
    In the RIA for the 2016 final rule, the BLM estimated that this 
requirement would impose costs of about $2 million per year and 
generate cost savings from product recovery of $3 million to $4 million 
per year (2016 RIA at 56).
    The BLM is currently reviewing Sec.  3179.201 to determine whether 
it should be revised or rescinded. The BLM is considering whether Sec.  
3179.201 is necessary in light of the analogous EPA regulations and the 
fact that operators are likely to adopt more efficient equipment in 
cases where it makes economic sense for them to do so. The BLM does not 
believe that operators should be required to make equipment upgrades to 
comply with Sec.  3179.201 until the BLM has had an opportunity to 
review its requirements and revise them through notice-and-comment 
rulemaking. The BLM is therefore proposing to delay the compliance date 
stated in Sec.  3179.201 until January 17, 2019.
    This proposed rule would revise the first sentence of paragraph (d) 
by replacing ``no later than 1 year after the effective date of this 
section'' with ``by January 17, 2019.'' This proposed rule would also 
replace ``the effective date of this section'' with ``January 17, 
2017'' the two times that it appears in the second sentence of 
paragraph (d). This proposed rule would not otherwise revise paragraph 
(d), but the rest of the paragraph would remain the same as in the 2016 
final rule and is repeated in the proposed rule text only for context.
43 CFR 3179.202--Requirements for Pneumatic Diaphragm Pumps
    Section 3179.202 establishes requirements for operators with 
pneumatic diaphragm pumps that use natural gas produced from a Federal 
or Indian lease, or from a unit or communitized area that includes a 
Federal or Indian lease. It applies to such pumps if they are not 
covered under EPA regulations at 40 CFR part 60, subpart OOOOa, but 
would be subject to that subpart if they were a new, modified, or 
reconstructed source. For covered pneumatic pumps, Sec.  3179.202 
requires that the operator either replace the pump with a zero-
emissions pump or route the pump exhaust to processing equipment for 
capture and sale. Alternatively, an operator may route the exhaust to a 
flare or low-pressure combustion device if the operator makes a 
determination (and notifies the BLM through a Sundry Notice) that 
replacing the pneumatic diaphragm pump with a zero-emissions pump or 
capturing the pump exhaust is not viable because: (1) A pneumatic pump 
is necessary to perform the function required; and (2) Capturing the 
exhaust is technically infeasible or unduly costly. If an operator 
makes this determination and has no flare or low-pressure combustor on-
site, or routing to such a device would be technically infeasible, the 
operator is not required to route the exhaust to a flare or low-
pressure combustion device. Under Sec.  3179.202(h), an operator must 
replace its covered pneumatic diaphragm pump or route the exhaust gas 
to capture or flare beginning no later than January 17, 2018.
    In the RIA for the 2016 final rule, the BLM estimated that this 
requirement would impose costs of about $4 million per year and 
generate cost savings from

[[Page 46463]]

product recovery of $2 million to $3 million per year (2016 RIA at 61).
    The BLM is currently reviewing Sec.  3179.202 to determine whether 
it should be rescinded or revised. Analogous EPA regulations apply to 
new, modified, and reconstructed sources, therefore limiting the 
applicability of Sec.  3179.202. In addition, the BLM is concerned that 
requiring zero-emissions pumps may not conserve gas in some cases. The 
volume of royalty-free gas used to generate electricity to provide the 
power necessary to operate a zero-emission pump could exceed the volume 
of gas necessary to operate the pneumatic pump that the zero-emission 
pump would replace. The BLM does not believe that operators should be 
required to make equipment upgrades to comply with Sec.  3179.202 until 
the BLM has had an opportunity to review its requirements and revise 
them through notice-and-comment rulemaking. The BLM is therefore 
proposing to delay the compliance date stated in Sec.  3179.202 until 
January 17, 2019.
    This proposed rule would revise paragraph (h) by replacing ``no 
later than 1 year after the effective date of this section'' in the 
first sentence with ``by January 17, 2019'' and would also replace 
``the effective date of this section'' with ``January 17, 2017'' the 
two times that it appears later in the same sentence. This proposed 
rule would not otherwise revise paragraph (h); the rest of the 
paragraph would remain the same as in the 2016 final rule and is 
repeated in the proposed rule text only for context.
43 CFR 3179.203--Storage Vessels
    Section 3179.203 applies to crude oil, condensate, intermediate 
hydrocarbon liquid, or produced-water storage vessels that contain 
production from a Federal or Indian lease, or from a unit or 
communitized area that includes a Federal or Indian lease, and that are 
not subject to 40 CFR part 60, subparts OOOO or OOOOa, but would be if 
they were new, modified, or reconstructed sources. If such storage 
vessels have the potential for volatile organic compound (VOC) 
emissions equal to or greater than 6 tons per year (tpy), Sec.  
3179.203 requires operators to route all gas vapor from the vessels to 
a sales line. Alternatively, the operator may route the vapor to a 
combustion device if it determines that routing the vapor to a sales 
line is technically infeasible or unduly costly. The operator also may 
submit a Sundry Notice to the BLM that demonstrates that compliance 
with the above options would cause the operator to cease production and 
abandon significant recoverable oil reserves under the lease due to the 
cost of compliance. Pursuant to Sec.  3179.203(c), operators must meet 
these requirements for covered storage vessels by January 17, 2018 
(unless the operator will replace the storage vessel in order to 
comply, in which case it has a longer time to comply).
    In the RIA for the 2016 final rule, the BLM estimated that this 
requirement would impose costs of about $7 million to $8 million per 
year and generate cost savings from product recovery of up to $200,000 
per year (2016 RIA at 74).
    The BLM is currently reviewing Sec.  3179.203 to determine whether 
it should be rescinded or revised. The BLM is considering whether Sec.  
3179.203 is necessary in light of analogous EPA regulations and whether 
the costs associated with compliance are justified. The BLM does not 
believe that operators should be required to make upgrades to their 
storage vessels in order to comply with Sec.  3179.203 until the BLM 
has had an opportunity to review its requirements and revise them 
through notice-and-comment rulemaking. The BLM is therefore proposing 
to delay the January 17, 2018, compliance date in Sec.  3179.203 until 
January 17, 2019.
    This proposed rule would revise the first sentence of paragraph (b) 
by replacing ``Within 60 days after the effective date of this 
section'' with ``Beginning January 17, 2019'' and by adding ``after 
January 17, 201'' between the words ``vessel'' and ``the operator.'' 
This proposed rule would also revise the introductory text of paragraph 
(c) by replacing ``no later than one year after the effective date of 
this section'' with ``by January 17, 2019'' and by changing ``or three 
years if'' to ``or by January 17, 2020, if '' to account for removing 
the reference to ``the effective date of this section.'' This proposed 
rule would not otherwise revise paragraphs (b) and (c), and the rest of 
these paragraphs would remain the same as in the 2016 final rule and 
are repeated in the proposed rule text only for context.
43 CFR 3179.204--Downhole Well Maintenance and Liquids Unloading
    Section 3179.204 establishes requirements for venting and flaring 
during downhole well maintenance and liquids unloading. It requires the 
operator to use practices for such operations that minimize vented gas 
and the need for well venting, unless the practices are necessary for 
safety. Section 3179.204 also requires that for wells equipped with a 
plunger lift system or an automated well-control system, the operator 
must optimize the operation of the system to minimize gas losses. Under 
Sec.  3179.204, before an operator manually purges a well for the first 
time, the operator must document in a Sundry Notice that other methods 
for liquids unloading are technically infeasible or unduly costly. In 
addition, during any liquids unloading by manual well purging, the 
person conducting the well purging is required to be present on-site to 
minimize to the maximum extent practicable any venting to the 
atmosphere. This section also requires the operator to maintain records 
of the cause, date, time, duration and estimated volume of each venting 
event associated with manual well purging, and to make those records 
available to the BLM upon request. Additionally, operators are required 
to notify the BLM by Sundry Notice within 30 days after the following 
conditions are met: (1) The cumulative duration of manual well-purging 
events for a well exceeds 24 hours during any production month; or (2) 
The estimated volume of gas vented in the process of conducting liquids 
unloading by manual well purging for a well exceeds 75 Mcf during any 
production month. In the RIA for the 2016 final rule, the BLM estimated 
that these requirements would impose costs of about $6 million per year 
and generate cost savings from product recovery of about $5 million to 
$9 million per year (2016 RIA at 66). In addition, there would be 
estimated administrative burdens associated with these requirements of 
$323,000 per year for the industry and $37,000 per year for the BLM 
(2016 RIA at 98 and 101).
    The BLM is currently reviewing Sec.  3179.204 to determine whether 
it should be rescinded or revised. The BLM does not believe that 
operators should be burdened with the operational and reporting 
requirements imposed by Sec.  3179.204 until the BLM has had an 
opportunity to review them and, if appropriate, revise them through 
notice-and-comment rulemaking. In addition, as part of this review, the 
BLM would want to review how these data could be reported in a 
consistent manner among operators. The BLM is therefore proposing to 
suspend the effectiveness of Sec.  3179.204 until January 17, 2019.
    This proposed rule would add a new paragraph (i), making it clear 
that operators must comply with Sec.  3179.204 beginning January 17, 
2019.
43 CFR 3179.301--Operator Responsibility
    Sections 3179.301 through 3179.305 establish leak detection, 
repair, and reporting requirements for: (1) Sites and equipment used to 
produce, process, treat, store, or measure natural gas from

[[Page 46464]]

or allocable to a Federal or Indian lease, unit, or communitization 
agreement; and (2) Sites and equipment used to store, measure, or 
dispose of produced water on a Federal or Indian lease. Section 
3179.302 prescribes the instruments and methods that may be used for 
leak detection. Section 3179.303 prescribes the frequency for 
inspections and Sec.  3179.304 prescribes the time frames for repairing 
leaks found during inspections. Finally, Sec.  3179.305 requires 
operators to maintain records of their leak detection and repair 
activities and submit an annual report to the BLM. Pursuant to Sec.  
3179.301(f), operators must begin to comply with the leak detection and 
repair requirements of Sec. Sec.  3179.301 through 3179.305 before: (1) 
January 17, 2018, for sites in production prior to January 17, 2017; 
(2) 60 days after beginning production for sites that began production 
after January 17, 2017; and (3) 60 days after a site that was out of 
service is brought back into service and re-pressurized.
    In the RIA for the 2016 final rule, the BLM estimated that these 
requirements would impose costs of about $83 million to $84 million per 
year and generate cost savings from product recovery of about $12 
million to $21 million per year (2016 RIA at 91). In addition, there 
would be estimated administrative burdens associated with these 
requirements of $3.9 million per year for the industry and over $1 
million per year for the BLM (2016 RIA at 98 and 102).
    The BLM is currently reviewing Sec.  3179.301 through Sec.  
3179.305 to determine whether they should be revised or rescinded. The 
BLM is considering whether these requirements are necessary in light of 
comparable EPA and State leak detection and repair regulations. The BLM 
is considering whether the reporting burdens imposed by these sections 
are justified and whether the substantial compliance costs could be 
mitigated by allowing for less frequent and/or non-instrument-based 
inspections or by exempting wells that have low potential to leak 
natural gas. The BLM does not believe that operators should be burdened 
with the significant compliance costs imposed by these sections until 
the BLM has had an opportunity to review them and, if appropriate, 
revise them through notice-and-comment rulemaking. The BLM is therefore 
proposing to delay the effective dates for these sections until January 
17, 2019, by revising Sec.  3179.301(f).
    This proposed rule would revise paragraph (f)(1) by replacing 
``Within one year of January 17, 2017 for sites that have begun 
production prior to January 17, 2017;'' with ``By January 17, 2019, for 
all existing sites.'' This proposed rule would also revise paragraph 
(f)(2) by adding ``new'' between the words ``for'' and ``sites'' and by 
replacing the existing date with ``January 17, 2019.'' Finally, this 
proposed rule would revise paragraph (f)(3) by adding ``an existing'' 
between the words ``when'' and ``site'' and by adding ``after January 
17, 2019'' to the end of the sentence. This proposed rule would not 
otherwise revise paragraph (f), and the rest of the paragraph would 
remain the same as in the 2016 final rule and is repeated in the 
proposed rule text only for context.

C. Summary of Estimated Impacts

    The BLM reviewed the proposed rule and conducted an RIA and 
Environmental Assessment (EA) that examine the impacts of the proposed 
requirements. The following discussion is a summary of the proposed 
rule's economic impacts. The RIA and draft EA that we prepared have 
been posted in the docket for the proposed rule on the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. In the Searchbox, 
enter ``RIN 1004-AE54'' and click the ``Search'' button. Follow the 
instructions at this Web site.
    The suspension or delay in the implementation of certain 
requirements in the 2016 final rule would postpone the impacts 
estimated previously to the near-term future. That is to say, impacts 
that we previously estimated would occur in 2017 are now estimated to 
occur in 2018, impacts that we previously estimated would occur in 2018 
are now estimated to occur in 2019, and so on. In the RIA for this 
proposed rule, we track this shift in impacts over the 10-year period 
following the delay. A 10-year period of analysis was also used in the 
RIA prepared for the 2016 final rule. Except for some notable changes, 
the 2017 RIA uses the impacts estimated and underlying assumptions used 
by the BLM for the RIA prepared for the 2016 final rule, published in 
November 2016. The BLM's proposed rule would temporarily suspend or 
delay almost all of the requirements in the 2016 final rule that we 
estimated would pose a compliance burden to operators and generate 
benefits of gas savings or reductions in methane emissions.
Estimated Reductions in Compliance Costs (Excluding Cost Savings)
    First, we examine the reductions in compliance costs excluding the 
savings that would have been realized from product recovery. The BLM's 
proposed rule would temporarily suspend or delay almost all of the 
requirements in the 2016 final rule that we estimated would pose a 
compliance burden to operators. We estimate that suspending or delaying 
the targeted requirements of the 2016 final rule until January 17, 
2019, would substantially reduce compliance costs during the period of 
the suspension or delay (2017 RIA at 29).
    Impacts in year 1:
    <bullet> A reduction in compliance costs of $114 million (using a 7 
percent discount rate to annualize capital costs) or $110 million 
(using a 3 percent discount rate to annualize capital costs).
    Impacts from 2017-2027:
    <bullet> Total reduction in compliance costs ranging from $73 
million to $91 million (net present value (NPV) using a 7 percent 
discount rate) or $40 million to $50 million (NPV using a 3 percent 
discount rate).
Estimated Reduction in Benefits
    The BLM's proposed rule would temporarily suspend or delay almost 
all of the requirements in the 2016 final rule that we estimated would 
generate benefits of gas savings or reductions in methane emissions. We 
estimate that the proposed rule would result in forgone benefits, since 
estimated cost savings that would have come from product recovery would 
be deferred and the emissions reductions would also be deferred (2017 
RIA at 32).
    Impacts in year 1:
    <bullet> A reduction in cost savings of $19 million.
    Impacts from 2017-2027:
    <bullet> Total reduction in cost savings of $36 million (NPV using 
a 7 percent discount rate) or $21 million (NPV using a 3 percent 
discount rate).
    We estimate that the proposed rule would also result in additional 
methane and VOC emissions of 175,000 and 250,000 tons, respectively, in 
year 1 (2017 RIA at 32).
    These estimated emissions are measured as the change from the 
baseline environment, which is the 2016 final rule's requirements being 
implemented per the 2016 final rule schedule. Since the proposed rule 
would delay the implementation of those requirements, the estimated 
benefits of the 2016 final rule would be forgone during the temporary 
suspension or delay.
    The BLM used interim domestic values of the carbon dioxide and 
methane to value the forgone emissions reductions resulting from the 
delay (see the discussion of social cost of greenhouse gases in the 
2017 RIA at Section 3.2 and Appendix).

[[Page 46465]]

    Impact in Year 1:
    <bullet> Forgone methane emissions reductions valued at $8 million 
(using interim domestic SC-CH<INF>4</INF> based on a 7 percent discount 
rate) or $26 million (using interim domestic SC-CH<INF>4</INF> based on 
a 3 percent discount rate).
    Impacts from 2017-2027:
    <bullet> Forgone methane emissions reductions valued at $1.9 
million (NPV and interim domestic SC-CH<INF>4</INF> using a 7 percent 
discount rate); or
    <bullet> Forgone methane emissions reductions valued at $300,000 
(NPV and interim domestic SC-CH<INF>4</INF> using a 3 percent discount 
rate).
Estimated Net Benefits
    The proposed rule is estimated to result in positive net benefits, 
meaning that the reduction of compliance costs would exceed the 
reduction in cost savings and the cost of emissions additions (2017 RIA 
at 36).
    Impact in year 1:
    <bullet> Net benefits of $83-86 million (using interim domestic SC-
CH<INF>4</INF> based on a 7 percent discount rate) or $64-68 million 
(using interim domestic SC-CH<INF>4</INF> based on a 3 percent discount 
rate).
    Impacts from 2017-2027:
    <bullet> Total net benefits ranging from $35-52 million (NPV and 
interim domestic SC-CH<INF>4</INF> using a 7 percent discount rate); or
    <bullet> Total net benefits ranging from $19-29 million (NPV and 
interim domestic SC-CH<INF>4</INF> using a 3 percent discount rate).
Energy Systems
    The proposed rule is expected to influence the production of 
natural gas, natural gas liquids, and crude oil from onshore Federal 
and Indian oil and gas leases, particularly in the short-term. However, 
since the relative changes in production are expected to be small, we 
do not expect that the proposed rule would significantly impact the 
price, supply, or distribution of energy.
    We estimate the following incremental changes in production, noting 
the representative share of the total U.S. production in 2015 for 
context (2017 RIA at 41).
    Annual Impacts:
    <bullet> A decrease in natural gas production of 9.0 billion cubic 
feet (Bcf) in year 1 (0.03 percent of the total U.S. production).
    <bullet> An increase in crude oil production of 91,000 barrels in 
year 2 (0.003 percent of the total U.S. production). There is no 
estimated change in crude oil production in year 1.
Royalty Impacts
    In the short-term, the rule is expected to decrease natural gas 
production from Federal and Indian leases, and likewise, is expected to 
reduce annual royalties to the Federal Government, tribal governments, 
States, and private landowners. From 2017-2027, however, we expect a 
small increase in total royalties, likely due to production slightly 
shifting into the future where commodity prices are expected to be 
higher.
    Royalty payments are recurring income to Federal or tribal 
governments and costs to the operator or lessee. As such, they are 
transfer payments that do not affect the total resources available to 
society. An important but sometimes difficult problem in cost 
estimation is to distinguish between real costs and transfer payments. 
While transfers should not be included in the economic analysis 
estimates of the benefits and costs of a regulation, they may be 
important for describing the distributional effects of a regulation.
    We estimate a reduction in royalties of $2.6 million in year 1 
(2017 RIA at 43). This amount represents about 0.2 percent of the total 
royalties received from oil and gas production on Federal lands in FY 
2016. However, from 2017-2027, we estimate an increase in total 
royalties of $1.26 million (NPV using a 7 percent discount rate) or 
$380,000 (NPV using a 3 percent discount rate).
Consideration of Alternative Approaches
    In developing this proposed rule, the BLM considered alternative 
timeframes for which it could suspend or delay the requirements (e.g., 
6 months and 2 years). Ultimately, the BLM decided to propose a 
suspension or delay for one year, which it believes to be the minimum 
length of time practicable within which to review the 2016 final rule 
and complete a notice-and-comment rulemaking to revise that regulation. 
We note that, based on the progress of the review during this 
rulemaking process, the BLM may revise the length of the suspension or 
delay for the final rule.
    A shorter suspension of delay of the same 2016 final rule 
requirements would result in a smaller reduction in compliance costs, 
smaller reduction in cost savings, and a smaller amount of forgone 
emissions reductions, relative to the proposal (2017 RIA at 49-50). 
Meanwhile, a longer suspension or delay of the same 2016 final rule 
requirements would result in a larger reduction in compliance costs, 
larger reduction in cost savings, and larger amount of forgone 
emissions reductions, relative to the proposal (2017 RIA at 50).
Employment Impacts
    The proposed rule would temporarily suspend or delay certain 
requirements of the BLM's 2016 final rule on waste prevention and is a 
temporary deregulatory action. As such, we estimate that it would 
result in a reduction of compliance costs for operators of oil and gas 
leases on Federal and Indian lands. Therefore, it is likely that the 
impact, if any, on the employment would be positive.
    In the RIA for the 2016 final rule, the BLM concluded that the 
requirements were not expected to impact the employment within the oil 
and gas extraction, drilling oil and gas wells, and support activities 
industries, in any material way. This determination was based on 
several reasons. First, the estimated incremental gas production 
represented only a small fraction of the U.S. natural gas production 
volumes. Second, the estimated compliance costs represented only a 
small fraction of the annual net incomes of companies likely to be 
impacted. Third, for those operations that would have been impacted to 
the extent that the compliance costs would force the operator to shut 
in production, the 2016 final rule had provisions that would exempt 
these operations from compliance. Based on these factors, the BLM 
determined that the 2016 final rule would not alter the investment or 
employment decisions of firms or significantly adversely impact 
employment. The RIA also noted that the requirements would require the 
one-time installation or replacement of equipment and the ongoing 
implementation of a leak detection and repair program, both of which 
would require labor to comply.
    We do not believe that the proposed rule would substantially alter 
the investment or employment decisions of firms for two reasons. First, 
the RIA for the 2016 final rule determined that that rule would not 
substantially alter the investment or employment decisions of firms, 
and so therefore delaying the 2016 final rule would likewise not be 
expected to impact those decisions. We also recognize that while there 
might be a small positive impact on investment and employment due to 
the reduction in compliance burdens, the magnitude of the reductions 
are relatively small.
Small Business Impacts
    The BLM reviewed the Small Business Administration (SBA) size 
standards for small businesses and the number of entities fitting those 
size standards as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau. We conclude that 
small

[[Page 46466]]

entities represent the overwhelming majority of entities operating in 
the onshore crude oil and natural gas extraction industry and, 
therefore, the proposed rule would impact a significant number of small 
entities.
    To examine the economic impact of the rule on small entities, the 
BLM performed a screening analysis on a sample of potentially affected 
small entities, comparing the reduction of compliance costs to entity 
profit margins.
    The BLM identified up to 1,828 entities that operate on Federal and 
Indian leases and recognizes that the overwhelming majority of these 
entities are small business, as defined by the SBA. We estimated the 
potential reduction in compliance costs to be about $60,000 per entity 
during the initial year when the requirements would be suspended or 
delayed. This represents the average maximum amount by which the 
operators would be positively impacted by the proposed rule.
    We used existing BLM information and research concerning firms that 
have recently completed Federal and Indian wells and the financial and 
employment information on a sample of these firms, as available in 
company annual report filings with the Securities and Exchange 
Commission (SEC). From the original list of companies, we identified 55 
company filings. Of those companies, 33 were small businesses.
    From data in the companies' 10-K filings to the SEC, the BLM was 
able to calculate the companies' profit margins for the years 2012, 
2013, and 2014. We then calculated a profit margin figure for each 
company when subject to the average annual reduction in compliance 
costs associated with this proposed rule. For these 26 small companies, 
the estimated per-entity reduction in compliance costs would result in 
an average increase in profit margin of 0.17 percentage points (based 
on the 2014 company data) (2017 RIA at 46).
Impacts Associated With Oil and Gas Operations on Tribal Lands
    The proposed rule would apply to oil and gas operations on both 
Federal and Indian leases. In the RIA, the BLM estimates the impacts 
associated with operations on Indian leases, as well as royalty 
implications for tribal governments. We estimate these impacts by 
scaling down the total impacts by the share of oil wells on Indian 
lands and the share of gas wells on Indian Lands. Please reference the 
RIA at section 4.4.5 for a full explanation about the estimate impacts.

IV. Procedural Matters

Regulatory Planning and Review (Executive Orders 12866 and 13563)

    Executive Order 12866 provides that the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
will review all significant rules.
    Executive Order 13563 reaffirms the principles of Executive Order 
12866 while calling for improvements in the Nation's regulatory system 
to promote predictability, to reduce uncertainty, and to use the best, 
most innovative, and least burdensome tools for achieving regulatory 
ends. The Executive Order directs agencies to consider regulatory 
approaches that reduce burdens and maintain flexibility and freedom of 
choice for the public where these approaches are relevant, feasible, 
and consistent with regulatory objectives. Executive Order 13563 
emphasizes further that regulations must be based on the best available 
science and that the rulemaking process must allow for public 
participation and an open exchange of ideas.
    This proposed rule would temporarily suspend or delay portions of 
the BLM's 2016 final rule while the BLM reviews those requirements. We 
have developed this proposed rule in a manner consistent with the 
requirements in Executive Order 12866 and Executive Order 13563.
    After reviewing the requirements of the proposed rule, the OMB has 
determined that it is an economically significant action according to 
the criteria of Executive Order 12866. The BLM reviewed the 
requirements of the proposed rule and determined that it will not 
adversely affect in a material way the economy, a sector of the 
economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public 
health or safety, or State, local, or tribal governments or 
communities. For more detailed information, see the RIA prepared for 
this proposed rule. The RIA has been posted in the docket for the 
proposed rule on the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. In the Searchbox, enter ``RIN 1004-AE54'' and 
click the ``Search'' button. Follow the instructions at this Web site.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    This proposed rule would not have a significant economic effect on 
a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility 
Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) 
generally requires that Federal agencies prepare a regulatory 
flexibility analysis for rules subject to the notice-and-comment 
rulemaking requirements under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 
U.S.C. 500 et seq.), if the rule would have a significant economic 
impact, either detrimental or beneficial, on a substantial number of 
small entities. See 5 U.S.C. 601--612. Congress enacted the RFA to 
ensure that government regulations do not unnecessarily or 
disproportionately burden small entities. Small entities include small 
businesses, small governmental jurisdictions, and small not-for-profit 
enterprises.
    The BLM reviewed the SBA size standards for small businesses and 
the number of entities fitting those size standards as reported by the 
U.S. Census Bureau in the Economic Census. The BLM concludes that the 
vast majority of entities operating in the relevant sectors are small 
businesses as defined by the SBA. As such, the proposed rule would 
likely affect a substantial number of small entities.
    However, the BLM believes that the proposed rule would not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
Although the rule would affect a substantial number of small entities, 
the BLM does not believe that these effects would be economically 
significant. The proposed rule would temporarily suspend or delay 
certain requirements placed on operators by the 2016 final rule. 
Operators would not have to undertake the associated compliance 
activities, either operational or administrative, that are outlined in 
the 2016 final rule until January 17, 2019, except to the extent the 
activities are required by State or tribal law, or by other pre-
existing BLM regulations. The screening analysis conducted by the BLM 
estimates that the average reduction in compliance costs associated 
with this proposed rule would be a small fraction of a percent of the 
profit margin for small companies, which is not a large enough impact 
to be considered significant.

Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act

    This proposed rule is a major rule under 5 U.S.C. 804(2), the Small 
Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act. This proposed rule:
    (a) Would have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or 
more.
    (b) Would not cause a major increase in costs or prices for 
consumers, individual industries, Federal, State, or local government 
agencies, or geographic regions.
    (c) Would not have a significant adverse effects on competition,

[[Page 46467]]

employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of 
U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises.

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)

    This proposed rule would not impose an unfunded mandate on State, 
local, or tribal governments, or the private sector of $100 million or 
more per year. The proposed rule would not have a significant or unique 
effect on State, local, or tribal governments or the private sector. 
The proposed rule contains no requirements that would apply to State, 
local, or tribal governments. It would temporarily suspend or delay 
requirements that would otherwise apply to the private sector. A 
statement containing the information required by the Unfunded Mandates 
Reform Act (UMRA) (2 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) is not required for the 
proposed rule. This proposed rule is also not subject to the 
requirements of section 203 of UMRA because it contains no regulatory 
requirements that might significantly or uniquely affect small 
governments, because it contains no requirements that apply to such 
governments, nor does it impose obligations upon them.

Governmental Actions and Interference With Constitutionally Protected 
Property Right--Takings (Executive Order 12630)

    This proposed rule would not affect a taking of private property or 
otherwise have taking implications under Executive Order 12630. A 
takings implication assessment is not required. The proposed rule would 
temporarily suspend or delay many of the requirements placed on 
operators by the 2016 final rule. Operators would not have to undertake 
the associated compliance activities, either operational or 
administrative, that are outlined in the 2016 final rule until January 
17, 2019, and therefore would impact some operational and 
administrative requirements on Federal and Indian lands. All such 
operations are subject to lease terms which expressly require that 
subsequent lease activities be conducted in compliance with 
subsequently adopted Federal laws and regulations. This proposed rule 
conforms to the terms of those leases and applicable statutes and, as 
such, the rule is not a government action capable of interfering with 
constitutionally protected property rights. Therefore, the BLM has 
determined that the rule would not cause a taking of private property 
or require further discussion of takings implications under Executive 
Order 12630.

Federalism (Executive Order 13132)

    Under the criteria in section 1 of Executive Order 13132, this 
proposed rule does not have sufficient federalism implications to 
warrant the preparation of a federalism summary impact statement. A 
federalism impact statement is not required.
    The proposed rule would not have a substantial direct effect on the 
States, on the relationship between the Federal Government and the 
States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the 
levels of government. It would not apply to States or local governments 
or State or local governmental entities. The rule would affect the 
relationship between operators, lessees, and the BLM, but it does not 
directly impact the States. Therefore, in accordance with Executive 
Order 13132, the BLM has determined that this proposed rule does not 
have sufficient federalism implications to warrant preparation of a 
Federalism Assessment.

Civil Justice Reform (Executive Order 12988)

    This proposed rule complies with the requirements of Executive 
Order 12988. More specifically, this proposed rule meets the criteria 
of section 3(a), which requires agencies to review all regulations to 
eliminate errors and ambiguity and to write all regulations to minimize 
litigation. This proposed rule also meets the criteria of section 
3(b)(2), which requires agencies to write all regulations in clear 
language with clear legal standards.

Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments (Executive 
Order 13175 and Departmental Policy)

    The Department strives to strengthen its government-to-government 
relationship with Indian tribes through a commitment to consultation 
with Indian tribes and recognition of their right to self-governance 
and tribal sovereignty. We have evaluated this proposed rule under the 
Department's consultation policy and under the criteria in Executive 
Order 13175 and have identified substantial direct effects on federally 
recognized Indian tribes that would result from this proposed rule. 
Under this proposed rule, oil and gas operations on tribal and allotted 
lands would not be subject to many of the requirements placed on 
operators by the 2016 final rule until January 17, 2019.
    The BLM believes that temporarily suspending or delaying these 
requirements would assist in preventing Indian lands from being viewed 
by oil and gas operators as less attractive than non-Indian lands due 
to unnecessary and burdensome compliance costs, thereby preventing 
economic harm to tribes and allottees.
    The BLM is conducting tribal outreach which it believes is 
appropriate given that the proposed rule would extend the compliance 
dates of the 2016 final rule, but would not change the policies of that 
rule. The BLM notified tribes of the action and requested feedback and 
comment through the respective BLM State Office Directors. Future 
tribal consultation may occur on an ongoing basis.

Paperwork Reduction Act

1. Overview
    The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521) provides 
that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required 
to respond to, a collection of information, unless it displays a 
currently valid control number. 44 U.S.C. 3512. Collections of 
information include requests and requirements that an individual, 
partnership, or corporation obtain information, and report it to a 
Federal agency. 44 U.S.C. 3502(3); 5 CFR 1320.3(c) and (k).
    OMB has approved the 24 information collection activities in the 
2016 final rule and has assigned control number 1004-0211 to those 
activities. In the Notice of Action approving the 24 information 
collection activities in the 2016 final rule, OMB announced that the 
control number will expire on January 31, 2018. The Notice of Action 
also included terms of clearance.
    The BLM requests the extension of control number 1004-0021 until 
January 31, 2019. The BLM requests no other changes to the control 
number.
    In accordance with the PRA, the BLM is inviting public comment on 
the proposed extension of control no. 1004-0211. Descriptions of the 
information collection activities in this proposed rule, along with 
estimates of the annual burdens, are shown below. Included in the 
burden estimates are the time for reviewing instructions, searching 
existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and 
completing and reviewing each component of the proposed information 
collection requirements.
    The BLM has submitted the information collection request for this 
proposed rule to OMB for review in accordance with the PRA. You may 
obtain a copy of the request from the BLM by electronic mail request to 
James Tichenor at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0a607e6369626f6465784a686667246d657c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="adc7d9c4cec5c8c3c2dfedcfc1c083cac2db">[email protected]</span></a> or by telephone request to 202-573-
0536.

[[Page 46468]]

You may also review the information collection request online at: 
http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/.
    The BLM requests comments on the following subjects:
    <bullet> Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper functioning of the BLM, including whether the information will 
have practical utility;
    <bullet> The accuracy of the BLM's estimate of the burden of 
collecting the information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used;
    <bullet> The quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and
    <bullet> How to minimize the information collection burden on those 
who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other forms of information technology.
    If you want to comment on the information collection requirements 
of this proposed rule, please send your comments directly to OMB, with 
a copy to the BLM, as directed in the ADDRESSES section of this 
preamble. Please identify your comments with ``OMB Control Number 1004-
0211.'' OMB is required to make a decision concerning the collection of 
information contained in this proposed rule between 30 to 60 days after 
publication of this document in the Federal Register. Therefore, a 
comment to OMB is best assured of having its full effect if OMB 
receives it by November 6, 2017.
2. Summary of Information Collection Activities
    Title: Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and 
Resource Conservation (43 CFR parts 3160 and 3170). Form 3160-5, Sundry 
Notices and Reports on Wells.
    OMB Control Number: 1004-0211.
    Forms: Form 3160-3, Application for Permit to Drill or Re-enter; 
and Form 3160-5, Sundry Notices and Reports on Wells.
    Description of Respondents: Holders of Federal and Indian (except 
Osage Tribe) oil and gas leases, those who belong to Federally approved 
units or communitized areas, and those who are parties to oil and gas 
agreements under the Indian Mineral Development Act, 25 U.S.C. 2101-
2108.
    Respondents' Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit.
    Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
    Abstract: The BLM requests the extension of control number 1004-
0021 until January 31, 2019. The BLM requests no changes to the control 
number except this extension.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 63,200.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 82,170.
    Estimated Total Non-Hour Cost: None.
3. Information Collection Request
    The BLM requests extension of OMB control number 1004-0211 until 
January 31, 2019. This extension would continue OMB's approval of the 
following information collection activities.
Plan To Minimize Waste of Natural Gas (43 CFR 3162.3-1)
    The 2016 final rule added a new provision to 43 CFR 3162.3-1 that 
requires a plan to minimize waste of natural gas when submitting an 
Application for Permit to Drill or Re-enter (APD) for a development oil 
well. This information is in addition to the APD information that the 
BLM already collects under OMB Control Number 1004-0137. The required 
elements of the waste minimization plan are listed at paragraphs (j)(1) 
through (j)(7).
Request for Approval for Royalty-Free Uses On-Lease or Off-Lease (43 
CFR 3178.5, 3178.7, 3178.8, and 3178.9)
    Section 3178.5 requires submission of a Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) 
to request prior written BLM approval for use of gas royalty-free for 
the following operations and production purposes on the lease, unit or 
communitized area:
    <bullet> Using oil or gas that an operator removes from the 
pipeline at a location downstream of the facility measurement point 
(FMP);
    <bullet> Removal of gas initially from a lease, unit PA, or 
communitized area for treatment or processing because of particular 
physical characteristics of the gas, prior to use on the lease, unit PA 
or communitized area; and
    <bullet> Any other type of use of produced oil or gas for 
operations and production purposes pursuant to Sec.  3178.3 that is not 
identified in Sec.  3178.4.
    Section 3178.7 requires submission of a Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) 
to request prior written BLM approval for off-lease royalty-free uses 
in the following circumstances:
    <bullet> The equipment or facility in which the operation is 
conducted is located off the lease, unit, or communitized area for 
engineering, economic, resource-protection, or physical-accessibility 
reasons; and
    <bullet> The operations are conducted upstream of the FMP.
    Section 3178.8 requires that an operator measure or estimate the 
volume of royalty-free gas used in operations upstream of the FMP. In 
general, the operator is free to choose whether to measure or estimate, 
with the exception that the operator must in all cases measure the 
following volumes:
    <bullet> Royalty-free gas removed downstream of the FMP and used 
pursuant to Sec. Sec.  3178.4 through 3178.7; and
    <bullet> Royalty-free oil used pursuant to Sec. Sec.  3178.4 
through 3178.7.
    If oil is used on the lease, unit or communitized area, it is most 
likely to be removed from a storage tank on the lease, unit or 
communitized area. Thus, this regulation also requires the operator to 
document the removal of the oil from the tank or pipeline.
    Section 3178.8(e) requires that operators use best available 
information to estimate gas volumes, where estimation is allowed. For 
both oil and gas, the operator must report the volumes measured or 
estimated, as applicable, under ONRR reporting requirements. As 
revisions to Onshore Oil and Gas Orders No. 4 and 5 have now been 
finalized as 43 CFR subparts 3174 and 3175, respectively, the final 
rule text now references Sec.  3173.12, as well as Sec.  3178.4 through 
Sec.  3178.7 to clarify that royalty-free use must adhere to the 
provisions in those sections.
    Section 3178.9 requires the following additional information in a 
request for prior approval of royalty-free use under Sec.  3178.5, or 
for prior approval of off-lease royalty-free use under Sec.  3178.7:
    <bullet> A complete description of the operation to be conducted, 
including the location of all facilities and equipment involved in the 
operation and the location of the FMP;
    <bullet> The volume of oil or gas that the operator expects will be 
used in the operation and the method of measuring or estimating that 
volume;
    <bullet> If the volume expected to be used will be estimated, the 
basis for the estimate (e.g., equipment manufacturer's published 
consumption or usage rates); and
    <bullet> The proposed disposition of the oil or gas used (e.g., 
whether gas used would be consumed as fuel, vented through use of a 
gas-activated pneumatic controller, returned to the reservoir, or 
disposed by some other method).
Request for Approval of Alternative Capture Requirement (43 CFR 3179.8)
    Section 3179.8 applies only to leases issued before the effective 
date of the 2016 final rule and to operators choosing to comply with 
the capture requirement in Sec.  3179.7 on a lease-by-lease, unit-by-
unit, or communitized area-by-communitized area basis. The regulation 
provides that operators who

[[Page 46469]]

meet those parameters may seek BLM approval of a capture percentage 
other than that which is applicable under 43 CFR 3179.7. The operator 
must submit a Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) that includes the following 
information:
    <bullet> The name, number, and location of each of the operator's 
wells, and the number of the lease, unit, or communitized area with 
which it is associated; and
    <bullet> The oil and gas production levels of each of the 
operator's wells on the lease, unit, or communitized area for the most 
recent production month for which information is available and the 
volumes being vented and flared from each well.
    In addition, the request must include map(s) showing:
    <bullet> The entire lease, unit, or communitized area, and the 
surrounding lands to a distance and on a scale that shows the field in 
which the well is or will be located (if applicable), and all pipelines 
that could transport the gas from the well;
    <bullet> All of the operator's producing oil and gas wells, which 
are producing from Federal or Indian leases, (both on Federal or Indian 
leases and on other properties) within the map area;
    <bullet> Identification of all of the operator's wells within the 
lease from which gas is flared or vented, and the location and distance 
of the nearest gas pipeline(s) to each such well, with an 
identification of those pipelines that are or could be available for 
connection and use; and
    <bullet> Identification of all of the operator's wells within the 
lease from which gas is captured;
    The following information is also required:
    <bullet> Data that show pipeline capacity and the operator's 
projections of the cost associated with installation and operation of 
gas capture infrastructure, to the extent that the operator is able to 
obtain this information, as well as cost projections for alternative 
methods of transportation that do not require pipelines; and
    <bullet> Projected costs of and the combined stream of revenues 
from both gas and oil production, including: (1) The operator's 
projections of gas prices, gas production volumes, gas quality (i.e., 
heating value and H<INF>2</INF>S content), revenues derived from gas 
production, and royalty payments on gas production over the next 15 
years or the life of the operator's lease, unit, or communitized area, 
whichever is less; and (2) The operator's projections of oil prices, 
oil production volumes, costs, revenues, and royalty payments from the 
operator's oil and gas operations within the lease over the next 15 
years or the life of the operator's lease, unit, or communitized area, 
whichever is less.
Notification of Choice To Comply on County- or State-Wide Basis (43 CFR 
3179.7(c)(3)(ii))
    Section 3179.7 requires operators flaring gas from development oil 
wells to capture a specified percentage of the operator's adjusted 
volume of gas produced over the relevant area. The ``relevant area'' is 
each of the operator's leases, units, or communitized areas, unless the 
operator chooses to comply on a county- or State-wide basis and the 
operator notifies the BLM of its choice by Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) 
by January 1 of the relevant year.
Request for Exemption From Well Completion Requirements (43 CFR 
3179.102(c) and (d))
    Section 3179.102 lists several requirements pertaining to gas that 
reaches the surface during well completion and related operations. An 
operator may seek an exemption from these requirements by submitting a 
Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) that includes the following information:
    (1) The name, number, and location of each of the operator's wells, 
and the number of the lease, unit, or communitized area with which it 
is associated;
    (2) The oil and gas production levels of each of the operator's 
wells on the lease, unit or communitized area for the most recent 
production month for which information is available;
    (3) Data that show the costs of compliance; and
    (4) Projected costs of and the combined stream of revenues from 
both gas and oil production, including: the operator's projections of 
oil and gas prices, production volumes, quality (i.e., heating value 
and H<INF>2</INF>S content), revenues derived from production, and 
royalty payments on production over the next 15 years or the life of 
the operator's lease, unit, or communitized area, whichever is less.
    The rule also provides that an operator that is in compliance with 
the EPA regulations for well completions under 40 CFR part 60, subpart 
OOOO or subpart OOOOa is deemed in compliance with the requirements of 
this section. As a practical matter, all new, reconstructed, and 
modified hydraulically fracturing or refracturing events are now 
subject to the EPA requirements, so the BLM does not believe that the 
requirements of this section would have any independent effect, or that 
any operator would request an exemption from the requirements of this 
section, as long as the EPA requirements remain in effect. For this 
reason, the BLM is not estimating any PRA burdens for Sec.  
3179.102.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \4\ The EPA has convened a proceeding for reconsidering the 
final OOOOa rule, see 82 FR 25730 (June 5, 2017). If EPA's 
requirements are altered in any way in the future, then PRA burdens 
estimated for BLM's rule could increase by up to $130/event if the 
operator files for an exemption.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Request for Extension of Royalty-Free Flaring During Initial Production 
Testing (43 CFR 3179.103)
    Section 3179.103 allows gas to be flared royalty-free during 
initial production testing. The regulation lists specific volume and 
time limits for such testing. An operator may seek an extension of 
those limits on royalty-free flaring by submitting a Sundry Notice 
(Form 3160-5) to the BLM.
Request for Extension of Royalty-Free Flaring During Subsequent Well 
Testing (43 CFR 3179.104)
    Section 3179.104 allows gas to be flared royalty-free for no more 
than 24 hours during well tests subsequent to the initial production 
test. The operator may seek authorization to flare royalty-free for a 
longer period by submitting a Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) to the BLM.
Reporting of Venting or Flaring (43 CFR 3179.105)
    Section 3179.105 allows an operator to flare gas royalty-free 
during a temporary, short-term, infrequent, and unavoidable emergency. 
Venting gas is permissible if flaring is not feasible during an 
emergency. The regulation defines limited circumstances that constitute 
an emergency, and other circumstances that do not constitute an 
emergency.
    The operator must estimate and report to the BLM on a Sundry Notice 
(Form 3160-5) volumes flared or vented in circumstances that, as 
provided by 43 CFR 3179.105, do not constitute emergencies for the 
purposes of royalty assessment:
    (1) More than 3 failures of the same component within a single 
piece of equipment within any 365-day period;
    (2) The operator's failure to install appropriate equipment of a 
sufficient capacity to accommodate the production conditions;
    (3) Failure to limit production when the production rate exceeds 
the capacity of the related equipment, pipeline, or gas plant, or 
exceeds sales contract volumes of oil or gas;
    (4) Scheduled maintenance;
    (5) A situation caused by operator negligence; or

[[Page 46470]]

    (6) A situation on a lease, unit, or communitized area that has 
already experienced 3 or more emergencies within the past 30 days, 
unless the BLM determines that the occurrence of more than 3 
emergencies within the 30 day period could not have been anticipated 
and was beyond the operator's control.
Pneumatic Controllers--Introduction
    Section 3179.201 pertains to any pneumatic controller that: (1) Is 
not subject to EPA regulations at 40 CFR 60.5360a through 60.5390a, but 
would be subject to those regulations if it were a new or modified 
source; and (2) has a continuous bleed rate greater than 6 standard 
cubic feet (scf) per hour. Section 3179.201(b) requires operators to 
replace each high-bleed pneumatic controller with a controller with a 
bleed rate lower than 6 scf per hour, with the following exceptions: 
(1) The pneumatic controller exhaust is routed to processing equipment; 
(2) the pneumatic controller exhaust was and continues to be routed to 
a flare device or low pressure combustor; (3) The pneumatic controller 
exhaust is routed to processing equipment; or (4) The operator notifies 
the BLM through a Sundry Notice and demonstrates, and the BLM agrees, 
that such would impose such costs as to cause the operator to cease 
production and abandon significant recoverable oil reserves under the 
lease.
Notification of Functional Needs for a Pneumatic Controller (43 CFR 
3179.201(b)(1)-(3))
    An operator may invoke one of the first three exceptions described 
above by notifying the BLM through a Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) that 
use of the pneumatic controller is required based on functional needs 
that may include, but are not limited to, response time, safety, and 
positive actuation, and the Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) describes those 
functional needs.
Showing That Cost of Compliance Would Cause Cessation of Production and 
Abandonment of Oil Reserves (43 CFR 3175.201(b)(4) and 3175.201(c))
    An operator may invoke the fourth exception described above by 
demonstrating to the BLM through a Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5), and by 
obtaining the BLM's agreement, that replacement of a pneumatic 
controller would impose such costs as to cause the operator to cease 
production and abandon significant recoverable oil reserves under the 
lease. The Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) must include the following 
information:
    (1) The name, number, and location of each of the operator's wells, 
and the number of the lease, unit, or communitized area with which it 
is associated;
    (2) The oil and gas production levels of each of the operator's 
wells on the lease, unit or communitized area for the most recent 
production month for which information is available;
    (3) Data that show the costs of compliance;
    (4) Projected costs of and the combined stream of revenues from 
both gas and oil production, including: the operator's projections of 
gas prices, gas production volumes, gas quality (i.e., heating value 
and H<INF>2</INF>S content), revenues derived from gas production, and 
royalty payments on gas production over the next 15 years or the life 
of the operator's lease, unit, or communitized area, whichever is less; 
and the operator's projections of oil prices, oil production volumes, 
costs, revenues, and royalty payments from the operator's oil and gas 
operations within the lease over the next 15 years or the life of the 
operator's lease, unit, or communitized area, whichever is less.
Showing in Support of Replacement of Pneumatic Controller Within 3 
Years (43 CFR 3179.201(d))
    The operator may replace a high-bleed pneumatic controller if the 
operator notifies the BLM through a Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) that 
the well or facility that the pneumatic controller serves has an 
estimated remaining productive life of 3 years or less.
Pneumatic Diaphragm Pumps--Introduction
    With some exceptions, Sec.  3179.202 pertains to any pneumatic 
diaphragm pump that: (1) Uses natural gas produced from a Federal or 
Indian lease, or from a unit or communitized area that includes a 
Federal or Indian lease; and (2) Is not subject to EPA regulations at 
40 CFR 60.5360a through 60.5390a, but would be subject to those 
regulations if it were a new, reconstructed, or modified source as 
defined in 40 CFR part 60 subpart OOOOa. This regulation generally 
requires replacement of such a pump with a zero-emissions pump or 
routing of the pump's exhaust gas to processing equipment for capture 
and sale.
    This requirement does not apply to pneumatic diaphragm pumps that 
do not vent exhaust gas to the atmosphere. In addition, this 
requirement does not apply if the operator submits a Sundry Notice to 
the BLM documenting that the pump(s) operated on less than 90 
individual days in the prior calendar year.
Showing That a Pneumatic Diaphragm Pump Was Operated on Fewer Than 90 
Individual Days in the Prior Calendar Year (43 CFR 3179.202(b)(2))
    A pneumatic diaphragm pump is not subject to Sec.  3179.202 if the 
operator documents in a Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) that the pump was 
operated fewer than 90 days in the prior calendar year.
Notification of Functional Needs for a Pneumatic Diaphragm Pump (43 CFR 
3179.202(d))
    In lieu of replacing a pneumatic diaphragm pump or routing the pump 
exhaust gas to processing equipment, an operator may submit a Sundry 
Notice (Form 3160-5) to the BLM showing that replacing the pump with a 
zero emissions pump is not viable because a pneumatic pump is necessary 
to perform the function required, and that routing the pump exhaust gas 
to processing equipment for capture and sale is technically infeasible 
or unduly costly.
Showing That Cost of Compliance Would Cause Cessation of Production and 
Abandonment of Oil Reserves (43 CFR 3175.202(f) and (g))
    An operator may seek an exemption from the replacement requirement 
by submitting a Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) to the BLM that provides an 
economic analysis that demonstrates that compliance with these 
requirements would impose such costs as to cause the operator to cease 
production and abandon significant recoverable oil reserves under the 
lease. The Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) must include the following 
information:
    (1) Well information that must include: (i) The name, number, and 
location of each well, and the number of the lease, unit, or 
communitized area with which it is associated; and (ii) The oil and gas 
production levels of each of the operator's wells on the lease, unit or 
communitized area for the most recent production month for which 
information is available;
    (2) Data that show the costs of compliance with Sec.  3179.202(c) 
through (e); and
    (3) The operator's estimate of the costs and revenues of the 
combined stream of revenues from both the gas and oil components, 
including: (i) The operator's projections of gas prices, gas production 
volumes, gas quality (i.e., heating value and H<INF>2</INF>S content), 
revenues derived from gas production, and royalty payments on gas 
production

[[Page 46471]]

over the next 15 years or the life of the operator's lease, unit, or 
communitized area, whichever is less; and (ii) The operator's 
projections of oil prices, oil production volumes, costs, revenues, and 
royalty payments from the operator's oil and gas operations within the 
lease over the next 15 years or the life of the operator's lease, unit, 
or communitized area, whichever is less.
Showing in Support of Replacement of Pneumatic Diaphragm Pump Within 3 
Years (43 CFR 3179.202(h))
    The operator may replace a pneumatic diaphragm pump if the operator 
notifies the BLM through a Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) that the well or 
facility that the pneumatic controller serves has an estimated 
remaining productive life of 3 years or less.
Storage Vessels (43 CFR 3179.203(c) and (d))
    A storage vessel is subject to 43 CFR 3179.203(c) if the vessel: 
(1) Contains production from a Federal or Indian lease, or from a unit 
or communitized area that includes a Federal or Indian lease; and (2) 
Is not subject to any of the requirements of EPA regulations at 40 CFR 
part 60, subpart OOOO, but would be subject to that subpart if it were 
a new, reconstructed, or modified source.
    The operator must determine, record, and make available to the BLM 
upon request, whether the storage vessel has the potential for VOC 
emissions equal to or greater than 6 tpy based on the maximum average 
daily throughput for a 30-day period of production. The determination 
may take into account requirements under a legally and practically 
enforceable limit in an operating permit or other requirement 
established under a Federal, State, local or tribal authority that 
limit the VOC emissions to less than 6 tpy.
    If a storage vessel has the potential for VOC emissions equal to or 
greater than 6 tpy, the operator must replace the storage vessel at 
issue in order to comply with the requirements of this section, and the 
operator must
    (1) Route all tank vapor gas from the storage vessel to a sales 
line;
    (2) If the operator determines that compliance with the requirement 
to route all tank vapor gas from the storage vessel to a sales line is 
technically infeasible or unduly costly, route all tank vapor gas from 
the storage vessel to a device or method that ensures continuous 
combustion of the tank vapor gas; or
    (3) Submit an economic analysis to the BLM through a Sundry Notice 
(Form 3160-5) that demonstrates, and the BLM agrees, that compliance 
with Sec.  3179.203(c)(2) would impose such costs as to cause the 
operator to cease production and abandon significant recoverable oil 
reserves under the lease.
    To support the demonstration described above, the operator must 
submit a Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) that includes the following 
information:
    (1) The name, number, and location of each well, and the number of 
the lease, unit, or communitized area with which it is associated;
    (2) The oil and gas production levels of each of the operator's 
wells on the lease, unit or communitized area for the most recent 
production month for which information is available;
    (3) Data that show the costs of compliance with Sec.  
3179.203(c)(1) or (2) on the lease; and
    (4) The operator must consider the costs and revenues of the 
combined stream of revenues from both the gas and oil components, 
including: The operator's projections of oil and gas prices, production 
volumes, quality (i.e., heating value and H<INF>2</INF>S content), 
revenues derived from production, and royalty payments on production 
over the next 15 years or the life of the operator's lease, unit, or 
communitized area, whichever is less.
Downhole Well Maintenance and Liquids Unloading--Documentation and 
Reporting (43 CFR 3179.204(c) and (e))
    The operator must minimize vented gas and the need for well venting 
associated with downhole well maintenance and liquids unloading, 
consistent with safe operations. Before the operator manually purges a 
well for liquids unloading for the first time after the effective date 
of this section, the operator must consider other methods for liquids 
unloading and determine that they are technically infeasible or unduly 
costly. The operator must provide information supporting that 
determination as part of a Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5). This 
requirement applies to each well the operator operates.
    For any liquids unloading by manual well purging, the operator 
must:
    (1) Ensure that the person conducting the well purging remains 
present on-site throughout the event to minimize to the maximum extent 
practicable any venting to the atmosphere;
    (2) Record the cause, date, time, duration, and estimated volume of 
each venting event; and
    (3) Maintain the records for the period required under Sec.  
3162.4-1 and make them available to the BLM, upon request.
Downhole Well Maintenance and Liquids Unloading--Notification of 
Excessive Duration or Volume (43 CFR 3179.204(f))
    The operator must notify the BLM by Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5), 
within 30 calendar days, if:
    (1) The cumulative duration of manual well purging events for a 
well exceeds 24 hours during any production month; or
    (2) The estimated volume of gas vented in liquids unloading by 
manual well purging operations for a well exceeds 75 Mcf during any 
production month.
Leak Detection--Compliance With EPA Regulations (43 CFR 3179.301(j))
    Sections 3179.301 through 3179.305 include information collection 
activities pertaining to the detection and repair of gas leaks during 
production operations. These regulations require operators to inspect 
all equipment covered under Sec.  3179.301(a) for gas leaks.
    Section 3179.301(j) allows an operator to satisfy the requirements 
of Sec. Sec.  3179.301 through 3179.305 for some or all of the 
equipment or facilities on a given lease by notifying the BLM in a 
Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) that the operator is complying with EPA 
requirements established pursuant to 40 CFR part 60 with respect to 
such equipment or facilities.
Leak Detection--Request To Use an Alternative Monitoring Device and 
Protocol (43 CFR 3179.302(c))
    Section 3175.302 specifies the instruments and methods that an 
operator may use to detect leaks. Section 3175.302(d) allows the BLM to 
approve an alternative monitoring device and associated inspection 
protocol if the BLM finds that the alternative would achieve equal or 
greater reduction of gas lost through leaks compared with the approach 
specified in Sec.  3179.302(a)(1) when used according to Sec.  
3179.303(a).
    Any person may request approval of an alternative monitoring device 
and protocol by submitting a Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) to BLM that 
includes the following information: (1) Specifications of the proposed 
monitoring device, including a detection limit capable of supporting 
the desired function; (2) The proposed monitoring protocol using the 
proposed monitoring device, including how results will be recorded; (3) 
Records and data from laboratory and field testing, including but not 
limited to performance testing; (4) A demonstration that the proposed 
monitoring device and protocol will

[[Page 46472]]

achieve equal or greater reduction of gas lost through leaks compared 
with the approach specified in the regulations; (5) Tracking and 
documentation procedures; and (6) Proposed limitations on the types of 
sites or other conditions on deploying the device and the protocol to 
achieve the demonstrated results.
Leak Detection--Operator Request To Use an Alternative Leak Detection 
Program (43 CFR 3179.303(b))
    Section 3179.303(b) allows an operator to submit a Sundry Notice 
(Form 3160-5) requesting authorization to detect gas leaks using an 
alternative instrument-based leak detection program, different from the 
specified requirement to inspect each site semi-annually using an 
approved monitoring device.
    To obtain approval for an alternative leak detection program, the 
operator must submit a Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) that includes the 
following information:
    (1) A detailed description of the alternative leak detection 
program, including how it will use one or more of the instruments 
specified in or approved under Sec.  3179.302(a) and an identification 
of the specific instruments, methods and/or practices that would 
substitute for specific elements of the approach specified in 
Sec. Sec.  3179.302(a) and 3179.303(a);
    (2) The proposed monitoring protocol;
    (3) Records and data from laboratory and field testing, including, 
but not limited to, performance testing, to the extent relevant;
    (4) A demonstration that the proposed alternative leak detection 
program will achieve equal or greater reduction of gas lost through 
leaks compared to compliance with the requirements specified in 
Sec. Sec.  3179.302(a) and 3179.303(a);
    (5) A detailed description of how the operator will track and 
document its procedures, leaks found, and leaks repaired; and
    (6) Proposed limitations on types of sites or other conditions on 
deployment of the alternative leak detection program.
Leak Detection--Operator Request for Exemption Allowing Use of an 
Alternative Leak-Detection Program That Does Not Meet Specified 
Criteria (43 CFR 3179.303(d))
    An operator may seek authorization for an alternative leak 
detection program that does not achieve equal or greater reduction of 
gas lost through leaks compared to the required approach, if the 
operator demonstrates that compliance with the leak-detection 
regulations (including the option for an alternative program under 43 
CFR 3179.303(b)) would impose such costs as to cause the operator to 
cease production and abandon significant recoverable oil or gas 
reserves under the lease. The BLM may approve an alternative leak 
detection program that does not achieve equal or greater reduction of 
gas lost through leaks, but is as effective as possible consistent with 
not causing the operator to cease production and abandon significant 
recoverable oil or gas reserves under the lease.
    To obtain approval for an alternative program under this provision, 
the operator must submit a Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) that includes 
the following information:
    (1) The name, number, and location of each well, and the number of 
the lease, unit, or communitized area with which it is associated;
    (2) The oil and gas production levels of each of the operator's 
wells on the lease, unit or communitized area for the most recent 
production month for which information is available;
    (3) Data that show the costs of compliance on the lease with the 
requirements of Sec. Sec.  3179.301-305 and with an alternative leak 
detection program that meets the requirements of Sec.  3179.303(b);
    (4) The operator must consider the costs and revenues of the 
combined stream of revenues from both the gas and oil components and 
provide the operator's projections of oil and gas prices, production 
volumes, quality (i.e., heating value and H<INF>2</INF>S content), 
revenues derived from production, and royalty payments on production 
over the next 15 years or the life of the operator's lease, unit, or 
communitized area, whichever is less;
    (5) The information required to obtain approval of an alternative 
program under Sec.  3179.303(b), except that the estimated volume of 
gas that will be lost through leaks under the alternative program must 
be compared to the volume of gas lost under the required program, but 
does not have to be shown to be at least equivalent.
Leak Detection--Notification of Delay in Repairing Leaks (43 CFR 
3179.304(b))
    Section 3179.304(a) requires an operator to repair any leak no 
later than 30 calendar days after discovery of the leak, unless there 
is good cause for delay in repair. If there is good cause for a delay 
beyond 30 calendar days, Sec.  3179.304(b) requires the operator to 
submit a Sundry Notice (Form 3160-5) notifying the BLM of the cause.
Leak Detection--Inspection Recordkeeping and Reporting (43 CFR 
3179.305)
    Section 3179.305 requires operators to maintain the following 
records and make them available to the BLM upon request: (1) For each 
inspection required under Sec.  3179.303, documentation of the date of 
the inspection and the site where the inspection was conducted; (2) The 
monitoring method(s) used to determine the presence of leaks; (3) A 
list of leak components on which leaks were found; (4) The date each 
leak was repaired; and (5) The date and result of the follow-up 
inspection(s) required under Sec.  3179.304. By March 31 each calendar 
year, the operator must provide to the BLM an annual summary report on 
the previous year's inspection activities that includes: (1) The number 
of sites inspected; (2) The total number of leaks identified, 
categorized by the type of component; (3) The total number of leaks 
repaired; (4) The total number of leaks that were not repaired as of 
December 31 of the previous calendar year due to good cause and an 
estimated date of repair for each leak; and (5) A certification by a 
responsible officer that the information in the report is true and 
accurate.
Leak Detection--Annual Reporting of Inspections (43 CFR 3179.305(b))
    By March 31 of each calendar year, the operator must provide to the 
BLM an annual summary report on the previous year's inspection 
activities that includes:
    (1) The number of sites inspected;
    (2) The total number of leaks identified, categorized by the type 
of component;
    (3) The total number of leaks repaired;
    (4) The total number leaks that were not repaired as of December 31 
of the previous calendar year due to good cause and an estimated date 
of repair for each leak.
    (5) A certification by a responsible officer that the information 
in the report is true and accurate to the best of the officer's 
knowledge.
4. Burden Estimates
    The following table details the annual estimated hour burdens for 
the information activities described above.

[[Page 46473]]



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                    Total hours
                        Type of response                             Number of       Hours per      (Column B x
                                                                     responses       response        Column C)
A                                                                              B               C               D
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Plan to Minimize Waste of Natural Gas, 43 CFR 3162.3-1, Form               2,000               8          16,000
 3160-3.........................................................
Request for Approval for Royalty-Free Uses On-Lease or Off-                   50               4             200
 Lease, 43 CFR 3178.5, 3178.7, 3178.8, and 3178.9, Form 3160-5..
Notification of Choice to Comply on County- or State-wide Basis,             200               1             200
 43 CFR 3179.7(c)(3)(iii).......................................
Request for Approval of Alternative Capture Requirement, 43 CFR               50              16             800
 3179.8(b), Form 3160-5.........................................
Request for Exemption from Well Completion Requirements, 43 CFR                0               0               0
 3179.102(c) and (d), Form 3160-5...............................
Request for Extension of Royalty-Free Flaring During Initial                 500               2           1,000
 Production Testing, 43 CFR 3179.103, Form 3160-5...............
Request for Extension of Royalty-Free Flaring During Subsequent                5               2              10
 Well Testing, 43 CFR 3179.104, Form 3160-5.....................
Reporting of Venting or Flaring, 43 CFR 3179.105, Form 3160-5...             250               2             500
Notification of Functional Needs for a Pneumatic Controller, 43               10               2              20
 CFR 3179.201(b)(1)-(3), Form 3160-5............................
Showing that Cost of Compliance Would Cause Cessation of                      50               4             200
 Production and Abandonment of Oil Reserves, 43 CFR
 3175.201(b)(4) and 3175.201(c), Form 3160-5....................
Showing in Support of Replacement of Pneumatic Controller within             100               1             100
 3 Years, 43 CFR 3179.201(d), Form 3160-5.......................
Showing that a Pneumatic Diaphragm Pump was Operated on Fewer                100               1             100
 than 90 Individual Days in the Prior Calendar Year, 43 CFR
 3179.202(b)(2), Form 3160-5....................................
Notification of Functional Needs for a Pneumatic Diaphragm Pump,             150               1             150
 43 CFR 3179.202(d), Form 3160-5................................
Showing that Cost of Compliance Would Cause Cessation of                      10               4              40
 Production and Abandonment of Oil Reserves, 43 CFR 3175.202(f)
 and (g), Form 3160-5...........................................
Showing in Support of Replacement of Pneumatic Diaphragm Pump                100               1             100
 within 3 Years, 43 CFR 3179.202(h), Form 3160-5................
Storage Vessels, 43 CFR 3179.203(c), Form 3160-5................              50               4             200
Downhole Well Maintenance and Liquids Unloading--Documentation             5,000               1           5,000
 and Reporting, 43 CFR 3179.204(c) and (e), Form 3160-5.........
Downhole Well Maintenance and Liquids Unloading--Notification of             250               1             250
 Excessive Duration or Volume, 43 CFR 3179.204(f), Form 3160-5..
Leak Detection--Compliance with EPA Regulations, 43 CFR                       50               4             200
 3179.301(j), Form 3160-5.......................................
Leak Detection--Request to Use an Alternative Monitoring Device                5              40             200
 and Protocol, 43 CFR 3179.302(c), Form 3160-5..................
Leak Detection--Operator Request to Use an Alternative Leak                   20              40             800
 Detection Program, 43 CFR 3179.303(b), Form 3160-5.............
Leak Detection--Operator Request for Exemption Allowing Use of               150              20           3,000
 an Alternative Leak-Detection Program that Does Not Meet
 Specified 43 CFR 3179.303(d), Form 3160-5......................
Leak Detection--Notification of Delay in Repairing Leaks, 43 CFR             100               1             100
 3179.304(a), Form 3160-5.......................................
Leak Detection--Inspection Recordkeeping and Reporting, 43 CFR            52,000             .25          13,000
 3179.305.......................................................
Leak Detection--Annual Reporting of Inspections, 43 CFR                    2,000              20          40,000
 3179.305(b), Form 3160-5.......................................
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................................          63,200  ..............          82,170
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

National Environmental Policy Act

    The BLM has prepared a draft environmental assessment (EA) to 
determine whether this proposed rule would have a significant impact on 
the quality of the human environment under the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). If the final EA 
supports the issuance of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for 
the rule, the preparation of an environmental impact statement pursuant 
to the NEPA would not be required.
    The draft EA and FONSI have been placed in the file for the BLM's 
Administrative Record for the rule at the address specified in the 
ADDRESSES section. The EA and FONSI have also been posted in the docket 
for the rule on the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. In the Searchbox, enter ``RIN 1004-AE54'' and 
click the ``Search'' button. Follow the instructions at this Web site. 
The BLM invites the public to review these documents and suggests that 
anyone wishing to submit comments on the EA and FONSI should do so in 
accordance with the instructions contained in the ``Public Comment 
Procedures'' section above.

Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, 
Distribution, or Use (Executive Order 13211)

    This proposed rule is not a significant energy action under the 
definition in Executive Order 13211. A statement of Energy Effects is 
not required.
    Section 4(b) of Executive Order 13211 defines a ``significant 
energy action'' as ``any action by an agency (normally published in the 
Federal Register) that promulgates or is expected to lead to the 
promulgation of a final rule or regulation, including notices of 
inquiry, advance notices of rulemaking, and notices of rulemaking: 
(1)(i) That is a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 
12866 or any successor order, and (ii) Is likely to have a significant 
adverse effect on the supply, distribution, or use of energy; or (2) 
That is designated by the Administrator of [OIRA] as a significant 
energy action.''
    The rule temporarily suspends or delays certain requirements in the 
2016 final rule and would reduce compliance costs in the short-term. 
The BLM determined that the 2016 final rule would not have impacted the 
supply, distribution, or use of energy and so the suspension or delay 
of many of the 2016 final rule's requirements until January

[[Page 46474]]

17, 2019, will likewise not have an impact on the supply, distribution, 
or use of energy. As such, we do not consider the proposed rule to be a 
``significant energy action'' as defined in Executive Order 13211.

Clarity of This Regulation (Executive Orders 12866)

    We are required by Executive Orders 12866 (section 1(b)(12)), 12988 
(section 3(b)(1)(B)), and 13563 (section 1(a)), and by the Presidential 
Memorandum of June 1, 1988, to write all rules in plain language. This 
means that each rule must:
    (a) Be logically organized;
    (b) Use the active voice to address readers directly;
    (c) Use common, everyday words and clear language rather than 
jargon;
    (d) Be divided into short sections and sentences; and
    (e) Use lists and tables wherever possible.
    If you feel that we have not met these requirements, send us 
comments by one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section. To 
better help the BLM revise the rule, your comments should be as 
specific as possible. For example, you should tell us the numbers of 
the sections or paragraphs that you find unclear, which sections or 
sentences are too long, the sections where you feel lists or tables 
would be useful, etc.

Authors

    The principal authors of this proposed rule are: James Tichenor and 
Michael Riches of the BLM Washington Office; Sheila Mallory of the BLM 
New Mexico State Office, Eric Jones of the BLM Moab, Utah Field Office; 
David Mankiewicz of the BLM Farmington, New Mexico Field Office; and 
Beth Poindexter of the BLM Dickinson, North Dakota Field Office; 
assisted by Faith Bremner of the BLM's Division of Regulatory Affairs 
and by the Department of the Interior's Office of the Solicitor.

List of Subjects

43 CFR Part 3160

    Administrative practice and procedure; Government contracts; 
Indians--lands; Mineral royalties; Oil and gas exploration; Penalties; 
Public lands--mineral resources; Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

43 CFR Part 3170

    Administrative practice and procedure; Flaring; Government 
contracts; Incorporation by reference; Indians--lands; Mineral 
royalties; Immediate assessments; Oil and gas exploration; Oil and gas 
measurement; Public lands--mineral resources; Reporting and record 
keeping requirements; Royalty-free use; Venting.

     Dated: September 28, 2017.
Katharine S. MacGregor,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management.

43 CFR Chapter II

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, the Bureau of Land 
Management proposes to amend 43 CFR parts 3160 and 3170 as follows:

PART 3160--ONSHORE OIL AND GAS OPERATIONS

0
1. The authority citation for part 3160 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 25 U.S.C. 396d and 2107; 30 U.S.C. 189, 306, 359, and 
1751; and 43 U.S.C. 1732(b), 1733, and 1740.

0
2. Amend Sec.  3162.3-1 by revising paragraph (j) introductory text to 
read as follows:


Sec.  3162.3-1  Drilling applications and plans.

* * * * *
    (j) Beginning January 17, 2019, when submitting an Application for 
Permit to Drill an oil well, the operator must also submit a plan to 
minimize waste of natural gas from that well. The waste minimization 
plan must accompany, but would not be part of, the Application for 
Permit to Drill. The waste minimization plan must set forth a strategy 
for how the operator will comply with the requirements of 43 CFR 
subpart 3179 regarding control of waste from venting and flaring, and 
must explain how the operator plans to capture associated gas upon the 
start of oil production, or as soon thereafter as reasonably possible, 
including an explanation of why any delay in capture of the associated 
gas would be required. Failure to submit a complete and adequate waste 
minimization plan is grounds for denying or disapproving an Application 
for Permit to Drill. The waste minimization plan must include the 
following information:
* * * * *

PART 3170--ONSHORE OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION

0
3. The authority citation for part 3170 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 25 U.S.C. 396d and 2107; 30 U.S.C. 189, 306, 359, and 
1751; and 43 U.S.C. 1732(b), 1733, and 1740.

0
4. Amend Sec.  3179.7 by revising paragraphs (b) and (c) to read as 
follows:


Sec.  3179.7  Gas capture requirement.

* * * * *
    (b) Beginning January 17, 2019, the operator's capture percentage 
must equal:
    (1) For each month during the period from January 17, 2019, to 
December 31, 2020: 85 percent;
    (2) For each month during the period from January 1, 2021, to 
December 31, 2023: 90 percent;
    (3) For each month during the period from January 1, 2024, to 
December 31, 2026: 95 percent; and
    (4) For each month beginning January 1, 2027: 98 percent.
    (c) The term ``capture percentage'' in this section means the 
``total volume of gas captured'' over the ``relevant area'' divided by 
the ``adjusted total volume of gas produced'' over the ``relevant 
area.''
    (1) The term ``total volume of gas captured'' in this section 
means: For each month, the volume of gas sold from all of the 
operator's development oil wells in the relevant area plus the volume 
of gas from such wells used on lease, unit, or communitized area in the 
relevant area.
    (2) The term ``adjusted total volume of gas produced'' in this 
section means: The total volume of gas captured over the month plus the 
total volume of gas flared over the month from high pressure flares 
from all of the operator's development oil wells that are in production 
in the relevant area, minus:
    (i) For each month from January 17, 2019, to December 31, 2019: 
5,400 Mcf times the total number of development oil wells ``in 
production'' in the relevant area;
    (ii) For each month from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020: 
3,600 Mcf times the total number of development oil wells in production 
in the relevant area;
    (iii) For each month from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021: 
1,800 Mcf times the total number of development oil wells in production 
in the relevant area; and
    (iv) For each month from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022: 
1,500 Mcf times the total number of development oil wells in production 
in the relevant area;
    (v) For each month from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024: 
1,200 Mcf times the total number of development oil wells in production 
in the relevant area;
    (vi) For each month from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025: 900 
Mcf times the total number of development oil wells in production in 
the relevant area; and
    (vii) For each month after January 1, 2026: 750 Mcf times the total 
number of development.
* * * * *

[[Page 46475]]

0
5. Amend Sec.  3179.9 by revising paragraph (b)(1) introductory text to 
read as follows:


Sec.  3179.9  Measuring and reporting volumes of gas vented and flared.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (1) If the operator estimates that the volume of gas flared from a 
high pressure flare stack or manifold equals or exceeds an average of 
50 Mcf per day for the life of the flare, or the previous 12 months, 
whichever is shorter, then, beginning January 17, 2019, the operator 
must either:
* * * * *
0
6. Amend Sec.  3179.10 by revising paragraph (a) to read as follows:


Sec.  3179.10   Determinations regarding royalty-free flaring.

    (a) Approvals to flare royalty free, which are in effect as of 
January 17, 2017, will continue in effect until January 17, 2019.
* * * * *
0
7. Amend Sec.  3179.101 by adding paragraph (c) to read as follows:


Sec.  3179.101  Well drilling.

* * * * *
    (c) The operator must comply with this section beginning January 
17, 2019.

0
8. Amend Sec.  3179.102 by adding paragraph (e) to read as follows:


Sec.  3179.102  Well completion and related operations.

* * * * *
    (e) The operator must comply with this section beginning January 
17, 2019.
0
9. Amend Sec.  3179.201 by revising paragraph (d) to read as follows:


Sec.  3179.201  Equipment requirements for pneumatic controllers.

* * * * *
    (d) The operator must replace the pneumatic controller(s) by 
January 17, 2019, as required under paragraph (b) of this section. If, 
however, the well or facility that the pneumatic controller serves has 
an estimated remaining productive life of 3 years or less from January 
17, 2017, then the operator may notify the BLM through a Sundry Notice 
and replace the pneumatic controller no later than 3 years from January 
17, 2017.
* * * * *
0
10. Amend Sec.  3179.202 by revising paragraph (h) to read as follows:


Sec.  3179.202  Requirements for pneumatic diaphragm pumps.

* * * * *
    (h) The operator must replace the pneumatic diaphragm pump(s) or 
route the exhaust gas to capture or to a flare or combustion device by 
January 17, 2019, except that if the operator will comply with 
paragraph (c) of this section by replacing the pneumatic diaphragm pump 
with a zero-emission pump and the well or facility that the pneumatic 
diaphragm pump serves has an estimated remaining productive life of 3 
years or less from January 17, 2017, the operator must notify the BLM 
through a Sundry Notice and replace the pneumatic diaphragm pump no 
later than 3 years from January 17, 2017.
* * * * *
0
11. Amend Sec.  3179.203 by revising paragraph (b) and paragraph (c) 
introductory text to read as follows:


Sec.  3179.203  Storage vessels.

* * * * *
    (b) Beginning January 17, 2019, and within 30 days after any new 
source of production is added to the storage vessel after January 17, 
2019, the operator must determine, record, and make available to the 
BLM upon request, whether the storage vessel has the potential for VOC 
emissions equal to or greater than 6 tpy based on the maximum average 
daily throughput for a 30-day period of production. The determination 
may take into account requirements under a legally and practically 
enforceable limit in an operating permit or other requirement 
established under a Federal, State, local or tribal authority that 
limit the VOC emissions to less than 6 tpy.
    (c) If a storage vessel has the potential for VOC emissions equal 
to or greater than 6 tpy under paragraph (b) of this section, by 
January 17, 2019, or by January 17, 2020, if the operator must and will 
replace the storage vessel at issue in order to comply with the 
requirements of this section, the operator must:
* * * * *
0
12. Amend Sec.  3179.204 by adding paragraph (i) to read as follows:


Sec.  3179.204  Downhole well maintenance and liquids unloading.

* * * * *
    (i) The operator must comply with this section beginning January 
17, 2019.
0
13. Amend Sec.  3179.301 by revising paragraph (f) to read as follows:


Sec.  3179.301  Operator responsibility.

* * * * *
    (f) The operator must make the first inspection of each site:
    (1) By January 17, 2019, for all existing sites;
    (2) Within 60 days of beginning production for new sites that begin 
production after January 17, 2019; and
    (3) Within 60 days of the date when an existing site that was out 
of service is brought back into service and re-pressurized after 
January 17, 2019.
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 2017-21294 Filed 10-4-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-84-P


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