A bill to streamline the oil and gas permitting process and to recognize fee ownership for certain oil and gas drilling or spacing units, and for other purposes.
Bill: S.4227 | Sponsor: Sen. Hoeven, John (R-ND)
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
This bill prohibits the Department of the Interior from requiring a drilling permit under the Mineral Leasing Act for an action occurring within an oil and gas drilling or spacing unit, if (1) less than 50% of the minerals within the unit are federally owned, and (2) the federal government neither owns nor leases the surface estate within the unit's boundaries.

To streamline the oil and gas permitting process and to recognize fee 
 ownership for certain oil and gas drilling or spacing units, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. COMPLIANCE WITH BLM PERMITTING.

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law but subject to any State requirements, a Bureau of Land Management 
drilling permit shall not be required under the Federal Oil and Gas 
Royalty Management Act of 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) or section 
3164.1 of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor 
regulation), for an action occurring within an oil and gas drilling or 
spacing unit if--</DELETED>
    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 
181 et seq.), the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 
(30 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), or subpart 3162 of title 43, Code of Federal 
Regulations (or successor regulations), but subject to any State or 
Tribal requirements and subsection (c), the Secretary of the Interior 
shall not require a permit to drill for an oil and gas lease under the 
Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) for an action occurring 
within an oil and gas drilling or spacing unit if--
            (1) less than 50 percent of the minerals within the oil and 
        gas drilling or spacing unit are minerals owned by the Federal 
        Government; and
            (2) the Federal Government does not own or lease the 
        surface estate within the area directly impacted by the action.
<DELETED>    (b) Notification.--Each State with an approved permit to 
drill or drilling plan that would impact or extract oil and gas owned 
by the Federal Government shall notify the Secretary of the Interior of 
the approved permit to drill or drilling plan not later than 45 days 
after the date on which the permit or plan is approved.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Royalties.--Nothing in this section affects the amount 
of royalties due to the Federal Government from the production of the 
Federal minerals within the oil and gas drilling or spacing 
unit.</DELETED>
    (b) Notification.--For each State permit to drill or drilling plan 
that would impact or extract oil and gas owned by the Federal 
Government--
            (1) each lessee, or designee of a lessee, shall--
                    (A) notify the Secretary of the Interior of the 
                submission of a State application for a permit to drill 
                or drilling plan on submission of the application; and
                    (B) provide a copy of the application described in 
                subparagraph (A) to the Secretary of the Interior not 
                later than 5 days after the date on which the permit or 
                plan is submitted; and
            (2) each lessee, designee of a lessee, or applicable State 
        shall notify the Secretary of the Interior of the approved 
        State permit to drill or drilling plan not later than 45 days 
        after the date on which the permit or plan is approved.
    (c) Nonapplicability to Indian Lands.--Subsection (a) shall not 
apply to Indian lands (as defined in section 3 of the Federal Oil and 
Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1702)).
    (d) Effect.--Nothing in this section affects--
            (1) other authorities of the Secretary of the Interior 
        under the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982 
        (30 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); or
            (2) the amount of royalties due to the Federal Government 
        from the production of the Federal minerals within the oil and 
        gas drilling or spacing unit.
                                                       Calendar No. 554

117th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 4227

                          [Report No. 117-203]

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