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.
About This Bill
Introduced
Latest Action · July 11, 2023
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 125.
Bureau of Land Management Mineral Spacing Act
This bill expedites the permitting process for oil and gas drilling on federal land.
Specifically, the bill bans the Department of the Interior from requiring a permit to drill for an oil and gas lease 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 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. However, this ban does not apply to certain tribal land.
In addition, the bill requires state drilling applicants to notify Interior if their permit or plan would impact or extract federally owned oil or gas. Holders of oil or gas leases must notify Interior when they submit a state permit application to drill.
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