Leases, easements, and rights-of-way on the outer Continental Shelf
43 U.S.C. § 1337
in effect(a) Oil and gas leases; award to highest responsible qualified bidder; method of bidding; royalty relief; Congressional consideration of bidding system; notice(1) The Secretary is authorized to grant to the highest responsible qualified bidder or bidders by competitive bidding, under regulations promulgated in advance, any oil and gas lease on submerged lands of the outer Continental Shelf which are not covered by leases meeting the requirements of subsection (a) of section 1335 of this title. Such regulations may provide for the deposit of cash bids in an interest-bearing account until the Secretary announces his decision on whether to accept the bids, with the interest earned thereon to be paid to the Treasury as to bids that are accepted and to the unsuccessful bidders as to bids that are rejected. The bidding shall be by sealed bid and, at the discretion of the Secretary, on the basis of—(A) cash bonus bid with a royalty at not less than 12½ percent, but not more than 16⅔ percent, fixed by the Secretary in amount or value of the production saved, removed, or sold; (B) variable royalty bid based on a per centum in amount or value of the production saved, removed, or sold, with either a fixed work commitment based on dollar amount for exploration or a fixed cash bonus as determined by the Secretary, or both; (C) cash bonus bid, or work commitment bid based on a dollar amount for exploration with a fixed cash bonus, and a diminishing or sliding royalty based on such formulae as the Secretary shall determine as equitable to encourage continued production from the lease area as resources diminish, but not less than 12½ percent, but not more than 16⅔ percent, at the beginning of the lease period in amount or value of the production saved, removed, or sold; (D) cash bonus bid with a fixed share of the net profits of no less than 30 per centum to be derived from the production of oil and gas from the lease area; (E) fixed cash bonus with the net profit share reserved as the bid variable; (F) cash bonus bid with a royalty at not less than 12½ percent, but not more than 16⅔ percent, fixed by the Secretary in amount or value of the production saved, removed, or sold and a fixed per centum share of net profits of no less than 30 per centum to be derived from the production of oil and gas from the lease area; (G) work commitment bid based on a dollar amount for exploration with a fixed cash bonus and a fixed royalty in amount or value of the production saved, removed, or sold; (H) cash bonus bid with royalty at not less than 12½ percent, but not more than 16⅔ percent, fixed by the Secretary in amount or value of production saved, removed, or sold, and with suspension of royalties for a period, volume, or value of production determined by the Secretary, which suspensions may vary based on the price of production from the lease; or (I) subject to the requirements of paragraph (4) of this subsection, any modification of bidding systems authorized in subparagraphs (A) through (G), or any other systems of bid variables, terms, and conditions which the Secretary determines to be useful to accomplish the purposes and policies of this subchapter, except that no such bidding system or modification shall have more than one bid variable. (2) The Secretary may, in his discretion, defer any part of the payment of the cash bonus, as authorized in paragraph (1) of this subsection, according to a schedule announced at the time of the announcement of the lease sale, but such payment shall be made in total no later than five years after the date of the lease sale. (3)(A) The Secretary may, in order to promote increased production on the lease area, through direct, secondary, or tertiary recovery means, reduce or eliminate any royalty or net profit share set forth in the lease for such area. (B) In the Western and Central Planning Areas of the Gulf of Mexico and the portion of the Eastern Planning Area of the Gulf of Mexico encompassing whole lease blocks lying west of 87 degrees, 30 minutes West longitude and in the Planning Areas offshore Alaska, the Secretary may, in order to—(i) promote development or increased production on producing or non-producing leases; or (ii) encourage production of marginal resources on producing or non-producing leases; through primary, secondary, or tertiary recovery means, reduce or eliminate any royalty or net profit share set forth in the lease(s). With the lessee’s consent, the Secretary may make other modifications to the royalty or net profit share terms of the lease in order to achieve these purposes. (C)(i) Notwithstanding the provisions of this subchapter other than this subparagraph, with respect to any lease or unit in existence on November 28, 1995, meeting the requirements of this subparagraph, no royalty payments shall be due on new production, as defined in clause (iv) of this subparagraph, from any lease or unit located in water depths of 200 meters or greater in the Western and Central Planning Areas of the Gulf of Mexico, including that portion of the Eastern Planning Area of the Gulf of Mexico encompassing whole lease blocks lying west of 87 degrees, 30 minutes West longitude, until such volume of production as determined pursuant to clause (ii) has been produced by the lessee. (ii) Upon submission of a complete application by the lessee, the Secretary shall determine within 180 days of such application whether new production from such lease or unit would be economic in the absence of the relief from the requirement to pay royalties provided for by clause (i) of this subparagraph. In making such determination, the Secretary shall consider the increased technological and financial risk of deep water development and all costs associated with exploring, developing, and producing from the lease. The lessee shall provide information required for a complete application to the Secretary prior to such determination. The Secretary shall clearly define the information required for a complete application under this section. Such application may be made on the basis of an individual lease or unit. If the Secretary determines that such new production would be economic in the absence of the relief from the requirement to pay royalties provided for by clause (i) of this subparagraph, the provisions of clause (i) shall not apply to such production. If the Secretary determines that such new production would not be economic in the absence of the relief from the requirement to pay royalties provided for by clause (i), the Secretary must determine the volume of production from the lease or unit on which no royalties would be due in order to make such new production economically viable; except that for new production as defined in clause (iv)(I), in no case will that volume be less than 17.5 million barrels of oil equivalent in water depths of 200 to 400 meters, 52.5 million barrels of oil equivalent in 400–800 meters of water, and 87.5 million barrels of oil equivalent in water depths greater than 800 meters. Redetermination of the applicability of clause (i) shall be undertaken by the Secretary when requested by the lessee prior to the commencement of the new production and upon significant change in the factors upon which the original determination was made. The Secretary shall make such redetermination within 120 days of submission of a complete application. The Secretary may extend the time period for making any determination or redetermination under this clause for 30 days, or longer if agreed to by the applicant, if circumstances so warrant. The lessee shall be notified in writing of any determination or redetermination and the reasons for and assumptions used for such determination. Any determination or redetermination under this clause shall be a final agency action. The Secretary’s determination or redetermination shall be judicially reviewable under section 702 of title 5, only for actions filed within 30 days of the Secretary’s determination or redetermination. (iii) In the event that the Secretary fails to make the determination or redetermination called for in clause (ii) upon application by the lessee within the time period, together with any extension thereof, provided for by clause (ii), no royalty payments shall be due on new production as follows:(I) For new production, as defined in clause (iv)(I) of this subparagraph, no royalty shall be due on such production according to the schedule of minimum volumes specified in clause (ii) of this subparagraph. (II) For new production, as defined in clause (iv)(II) of this subparagraph, no royalty shall be due on such production for one year following the start of such production. (iv) For purposes of this subparagraph, the term “new production” is—(I) any production from a lease from which no royalties are due on production, other than test production, prior to November 28, 1995; or (II) any production resulting from lease development activities pursuant to a Development Operations Coordination Document, or supplement thereto that would expand production significantly beyond the level anticipated in the Development Operations Coordination Document, approved by the Secretary after November 28, 1995. (v) During the production of volumes determined pursuant to clauses 11 So in original. Probably should be “clause”. (ii) or (iii) of this subparagraph, in any year during which the arithmetic average of the closing prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange for light sweet crude oil exceeds $28.00 per barrel, any production of oil will be subject to royalties at the lease stipulated royalty rate. Any production subject to this clause shall be counted toward the production volume determined pursuant to clause (ii) or (iii). Estimated royalty payments will be made if such average of the closing prices for the previous year exceeds $28.00. After the end of the calendar year, when the new average price can be calculated, lessees will pay any royalties due, with interest but without penalty, or can apply for a refund, with interest, of any overpayment. (vi) During the production of volumes determined pursuant to clause (ii) or (iii) of this subparagraph, in any year during which the arithmetic average of the closing prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange for natural gas exceeds $3.50 per million British thermal units, any production of natural gas will be subject to royalties at the lease stipulated royalty rate. Any production subject to this clause shall be counted toward the production volume determined pursuant to clauses 1 (ii) or (iii). Estimated royalty payments will be made if such average of the closing prices for the previous year exceeds $3.50. After the end of the calendar year, when the new average price can be calculated, lessees will pay any royalties due, with interest but without penalty, or can apply for a refund, with interest, of any overpayment. (vii) The prices referred to in clauses (v) and (vi) of this subparagraph shall be changed during any calendar year after 1994 by the percentage, if any, by which the implicit price deflator for the gross domestic product changed during the preceding calendar year. (4)(A) The Secretary of Energy shall submit any bidding system authorized in subparagraph (H) of paragraph (1) to the Senate and House of Representatives. The Secretary may institute such bidding system unless either the Senate or the House of Representatives passes a resolution of disapproval within thirty days after receipt of the bidding system. (B) Subparagraphs (C) through (J) of this paragraph are enacted by Congress—(i) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively, and as such they are deemed a part of the rules of each House, respectively, but they are applicable only with respect to the procedures to be followed in that House in the case of resolutions described by this paragraph, and they supersede other rules only to the extent that they are inconsistent therewith; and (ii) with full recognition of the constitutional right of either House to change the rules (so far as relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, in the same manner, and to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that House. (C) A resolution disapproving a bidding system submitted pursuant to this paragraph shall immediately be referred to a committee (and all resolutions with respect to the same request shall be referred to the same committee) by the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as the case may be. (D) If the committee to which has been referred any resolution disapproving the bidding system of the Secretary has not reported the resolution at the end of ten calendar days after its referral, it shall be in order to move either to discharge the committee from further consideration of the resolution or to discharge the committee from further consideration of any other resolution with respect to the same bidding system which has been referred to the committee. (E) A motion to discharge may be made only by an individual favoring the resolution, shall be highly privileged (except that it may not be made after the committee has reported a resolution with respect to the same recommendation), and debate thereon shall be limited to not more than one hour, to be divided equally between those favoring and those opposing the resolution. An amendment to the motion shall not be in order, and it shall not be in order to move to reconsider the vote by which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to. (F) If the motion to discharge is agreed to or disagreed to, the motion may not be renewed, nor may another motion to discharge the committee be made with respect to any other resolution with respect to the same bidding system. (G) When the committee has reported, or has been discharged from further consideration of, a resolution as provided in this paragraph, it shall be at any time thereafter in order (even though a previous motion to the same effect has been disagreed to) to move to proceed to the consideration of the resolution. The motion shall be highly privileged and shall not be debatable. An amendment to the motion shall not be in order, and it shall not be in order to move to reconsider the vote by which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to. (H) Debate on the resolution is limited to not more than two hours, to be divided equally between those favoring and those opposing the resolution. A motion further to limit debate is not debatable. An amendment to, or motion to recommit, the resolution is not in order, and it is not in order to move to reconsider the vote by which the resolution is agreed to or disagreed to. (I) Motions to postpone, made with respect to the discharge from the committee, or the consideration of a resolution with respect to a bidding system, and motions to proceed to the consideration of other business, shall be decided without debate. (J) Appeals from the decisions of the Chair relating to the application of the rules of the Senate or the House of Representatives, as the case may be, to the procedure relating to a resolution with respect to a bidding system shall be decided without debate. (5)(A) During the five-year period commencing on September 18, 1978, the Secretary may, in order to obtain statistical information to determine which bidding alternatives will best accomplish the purposes and policies of this subchapter, require, as to no more than 10 per centum of the tracts offered each year, each bidder to submit bids for any area of the outer Continental Shelf in accordance with more than one of the bidding systems set forth in paragraph (1) of this subsection. For such statistical purposes, leases may be awarded using a bidding alternative selected at random for the acquisition of valid statistical data if such bidding alternative is otherwise consistent with the provisions of this subchapter. (B) The bidding systems authorized by paragraph (1) of this subsection, other than the system authorized by subparagraph (A), shall be applied to not less than 20 per centum and not more than 60 per centum of the total area offered for leasing each year during the five-year period beginning on September 18, 1978, unless the Secretary determines that the requirements set forth in this subparagraph are inconsistent with the purposes and policies of this subchapter. (6) At least ninety days prior to notice of any lease sale under subparagraph (D), (E), (F), or, if appropriate, (H) of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall by regulation establish rules to govern the calculation of net profits. In the event of any dispute between the United States and a lessee concerning the calculation of the net profits under the regulation issued pursuant to this paragraph, the burden of proof shall be on the lessee. (7) After an oil and gas lease is granted pursuant to any of the work commitment options of paragraph (1) of this subsection—(A) the lessee, at its option, shall deliver to the Secretary upon issuance of the lease either (i) a cash deposit for the full amount of the exploration work commitment, or (ii) a performance bond in form and substance and with a surety satisfactory to the Secretary, in the principal amount of such exploration work commitment assuring the Secretary that such commitment shall be faithfully discharged in accordance with this section, regulations, and the lease; and for purposes of this subparagraph, the principal amount of such cash deposit or bond may, in accordance with regulations, be periodically reduced upon proof, satisfactory to the Secretary, that a portion of the exploration work commitment has been satisfied; (B) 50 per centum of all exploration expenditures on, or directly related to, the lease, including, but not limited to (i) geological investigations and related activities, (ii) geophysical investigations including seismic, geomagnetic, and gravity surveys, data processing and interpretation, and (iii) exploratory drilling, core drilling, redrilling, and well completion or abandonment, including the drilling of wells sufficient to determine the size and a real extent of any newly discovered field, and including the cost of mobilization and demobilization of drilling equipment, shall be included in satisfaction of the commitment, except that the lessee’s general overhead cost shall not be so included against the work commitment, but its cost (including employee benefits) of employees directly assigned to such exploration work shall be so included; and (C) if at the end of the primary term of the lease, including any extension thereof, the full dollar amount of the exploration work commitment has not been satisfied, the balance shall then be paid in cash to the Secretary. (8) Not later than thirty days before any lease sale, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress and publish in the Federal Register a notice—(A) identifying any bidding system which will be utilized for such lease sale and the reasons for the utilization of such bidding system; and (B) designating the lease tracts selected which are to be offered in such sale under the bidding system authorized by subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) and the lease tracts selected which are to be offered under any one or more of the bidding systems authorized by subparagraphs (B) through (H) of paragraph (1), and the reasons such lease tracts are to be offered under a particular bidding system.
(b) Terms and provisions of oil and gas leasesAn oil and gas lease issued pursuant to this section shall—(1) be for a tract consisting of a compact area not exceeding five thousand seven hundred and sixty acres, as the Secretary may determine, unless the Secretary finds that a larger area is necessary to comprise a reasonable economic production unit; (2) be for an initial period of—(A) five years; or (B) not to exceed ten years where the Secretary finds that such longer period is necessary to encourage exploration and development in areas because of unusually deep water or other unusually adverse conditions, and as long after such initial period as oil or gas is produced from the area in paying quantities, or drilling or well reworking operations as approved by the Secretary are conducted thereon; (3) require the payment of amount or value as determined by one of the bidding systems set forth in subsection (a) of this section; (4) entitle the lessee to explore, develop, and produce the oil and gas contained within the lease area, conditioned upon due diligence requirements and the approval of the development and production plan required by this subchapter; (5) provide for suspension or cancellation of the lease during the initial lease term or thereafter pursuant to section 1334 of this title; (6) contain such rental and other provisions as the Secretary may prescribe at the time of offering the area for lease; and (7) provide a requirement that the lessee offer 20 per centum of the crude oil, condensate, and natural gas liquids produced on such lease, at the market value and point of delivery applicable to Federal royalty oil, to small or independent refiners as defined in the Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act of 1973 22 See References in Text note below. [15 U.S.C. 751 et seq.].
(c) Antitrust review of lease sales(1) Following each notice of a proposed lease sale and before the acceptance of bids and the issuance of leases based on such bids, the Secretary shall allow the Attorney General, in consultation with the Federal Trade Commission, thirty days to review the results of such lease sale, except that the Attorney General, after consultation with the Federal Trade Commission, may agree to a shorter review period. (2) The Attorney General may, in consultation with the Federal Trade Commission, conduct such antitrust review on the likely effects the issuance of such leases would have on competition as the Attorney General, after consultation with the Federal Trade Commission, deems appropriate and shall advise the Secretary with respect to such review. The Secretary shall provide such information as the Attorney General, after consultation with the Federal Trade Commission, may require in order to conduct any antitrust review pursuant to this paragraph and to make recommendations pursuant to paragraph (3) of this subsection. (3) The Attorney General, after consultation with the Federal Trade Commission, may make such recommendations to the Secretary, including the nonacceptance of any bid, as may be appropriate to prevent any situation inconsistent with the antitrust laws. If the Secretary determines, or if the Attorney General advises the Secretary, after consultation with the Federal Trade Commission and prior to the issuance of any lease, that such lease may create or maintain a situation inconsistent with the antitrust laws, the Secretary may—(A) refuse (i) to accept an otherwise qualified bid for such lease, or (ii) to issue such lease, notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section; or (B) issue such lease, and notify the lessee and the Attorney General of the reason for such decision. (4)(A) Nothing in this subsection shall restrict the power under any other Act or the common law of the Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission, or any other Federal department or agency to secure information, conduct reviews, make recommendations, or seek appropriate relief. (B) Neither the issuance of a lease nor anything in this subsection shall modify or abridge any private right of action under the antitrust laws.
(d) Due diligenceNo bid for a lease may be submitted if the Secretary finds, after notice and hearing, that the bidder is not meeting due diligence requirements on other leases.
(e) Secretary’s approval for sale, exchange, assignment, or other transfer of leasesNo lease issued under this subchapter may be sold, exchanged, assigned, or otherwise transferred except with the approval of the Secretary. Prior to any such approval, the Secretary shall consult with and give due consideration to the views of the Attorney General.
(f) Antitrust immunity or defensesNothing in this subchapter shall be deemed to convey to any person, association, corporation, or other business organization immunity from civil or criminal liability, or to create defenses to actions, under any antitrust law.
(g) Leasing of lands within three miles of seaward boundaries of coastal States; deposit of revenues; distribution of revenues(1) At the time of soliciting nominations for the leasing of lands containing tracts wholly or partially within three nautical miles of the seaward boundary of any coastal State, and subsequently as new information is obtained or developed by the Secretary, the Secretary shall, in addition to the information required by section 1352 of this title, provide the Governor of such State—(A) an identification and schedule of the areas and regions proposed to be offered for leasing; (B) at the request of the Governor of such State, all information from all sources concerning the geographical, geological, and ecological characteristics of such tracts; (C) an estimate of the oil and gas reserves in the areas proposed for leasing; and (D) at the request of the Governor of such State, an identification of any field, geological structure, or trap located wholly or partially within three nautical miles of the seaward boundary of such coastal State, including all information relating to the entire field, geological structure, or trap. The provisions of the first sentence of subsection (c) and the provisions of subsections (e)–(h) of section 1352 of this title shall be applicable to the release by the Secretary of any information to any coastal State under this paragraph. In addition, the provisions of subsections (c) and (e)–(h) of section 1352 of this title shall apply in their entirety to the release by the Secretary to any coastal State of any information relating to Federal lands beyond three nautical miles of the seaward boundary of such coastal State. (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, the Secretary shall deposit into a separate account in the Treasury of the United States all bonuses, rents, and royalties, and other revenues (derived from any bidding system authorized under subsection (a)(1)), excluding Federal income and windfall profits taxes, and derived from any lease issued after September 18, 1978 of any Federal tract which lies wholly (or, in the case of Alaska, partially until seven years from the date of settlement of any boundary dispute that is the subject of an agreement under section 1336 of this title entered into prior to January 1, 1986 or until April 15, 1993 with respect to any other tract) within three nautical miles of the seaward boundary of any coastal State, or, (except as provided above for Alaska) in the case where a Federal tract lies partially within three nautical miles of the seaward boundary, a percentage of bonuses, rents, royalties, and other revenues (derived from any bidding system authorized under subsection (a)(1)), excluding Federal income and windfall profits taxes, and derived from any lease issued after September 18, 1978 of such tract equal to the percentage of surface acreage of the tract that lies within such three nautical miles. Except as provided in paragraph (5) of this subsection, not later than the last business day of the month following the month in which those revenues are deposited in the Treasury, the Secretary shall transmit to such coastal State 27 percent of those revenues, together with all accrued interest thereon. The remaining balance of such revenues shall be transmitted simultaneously to the miscellaneous receipts account of the Treasury of the United States. (3) Whenever the Secretary or the Governor of a coastal State determines that a common potentially hydrocarbon-bearing area may underlie the Federal and State boundary, the Secretary or the Governor shall notify the other party in writing of his determination and the Secretary shall provide to the Governor notice of the current and projected status of the tract or tracts containing the common potentially hydrocarbon-bearing area. If the Secretary has leased or intends to lease such tract or tracts, the Secretary and the Governor of the coastal State may enter into an agreement to divide the revenues from production of any common potentially hydrocarbon-bearing area, by unitization or other royalty sharing agreement, pursuant to existing law. If the Secretary and the Governor do not enter into an agreement, the Secretary may nevertheless proceed with the leasing of the tract or tracts. Any revenues received by the United States under such an agreement shall be subject to the requirements of paragraph (2). (4) The deposits in the Treasury account described in this section shall be invested by the Secretary of the Treasury in securities backed by the full faith and credit of the United States having maturities suitable to the needs of the account and yielding the highest reasonably available interest rates as determined by the Secretary of the Treasury. (5)(A) When there is a boundary dispute between the United States and a State which is subject to an agreement under section 1336 of this title, the Secretary shall credit to the account established pursuant to such agreement all bonuses, rents, and royalties, and other revenues (derived from any bidding system authorized under subsection (a)(1)), excluding Federal income and windfall profits taxes, and derived from any lease issued after September 18, 1978 of any Federal tract which lies wholly or partially within three nautical miles of the seaward boundary asserted by the State, if that money has not otherwise been deposited in such account. Proceeds of an escrow account established pursuant to an agreement under section 1336 of this title shall be distributed as follows:(i) Twenty-seven percent of all bonuses, rents, and royalties, and other revenues (derived from any bidding system authorized under subsection (a)(1)), excluding Federal income and windfall profits taxes, and derived from any lease issued after September 18, 1978, of any tract which lies wholly within three nautical miles of the seaward boundary asserted by the Federal Government in the boundary dispute, together with all accrued interest thereon, shall be paid to the State either—(I) within thirty days of December 1, 1987, or (II) by the last business day of the month following the month in which those revenues are deposited in the Treasury, whichever date is later. (ii) Upon the settlement of a boundary dispute which is subject to a section 1336 of this title agreement between the United States and a State, the Secretary shall pay to such State any additional moneys due such State from amounts deposited in or credited to the escrow account. If there is insufficient money deposited in the escrow account, the Secretary shall transmit, from any revenues derived from any lease of Federal lands under this subchapter, the remaining balance due such State in accordance with the formula set forth in section 8004(b)(1)(B) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act Amendments of 1985. (B) This paragraph applies to all Federal oil and gas lease sales, under this subchapter, including joint lease sales, occurring after September 18, 1978. (6) This section shall be deemed to take effect on October 1, 1985, for purposes of determining the amounts to be deposited in the separate account and the States’ shares described in paragraph (2). (7) When the Secretary leases any tract which lies wholly or partially within three miles of the seaward boundary of two or more States, the revenues from such tract shall be distributed as otherwise provided by this section, except that the State’s share of such revenues that would otherwise result under this section shall be divided equally among such States.
(h) State claims to jurisdiction over submerged landsNothing contained in this section shall be construed to alter, limit, or modify any claim of any State to any jurisdiction over, or any right, title, or interest in, any submerged lands.
(i) Sulphur leases; award to highest bidder; method of biddingIn order to meet the urgent need for further exploration and development of the sulphur deposits in the submerged lands of the outer Continental Shelf, the Secretary is authorized to grant to the qualified persons offering the highest cash bonuses on a basis of competitive bidding sulphur leases on submerged lands of the outer Continental Shelf, which are not covered by leases which include sulphur and meet the requirements of section 1335(a) of this title, and which sulphur leases shall be offered for bid by sealed bids and granted on separate leases from oil and gas leases, and for a separate consideration, and without priority or preference accorded to oil and gas lessees on the same area.
(j) Terms and provisions of sulphur leasesA sulphur lease issued by the Secretary pursuant to this section shall (1) cover an area of such size and dimensions as the Secretary may determine, (2) be for a period of not more than ten years and so long thereafter as sulphur may be produced from the area in paying quantities or drilling, well reworking, plant construction, or other operations for the production of sulphur, as approved by the Secretary, are conducted thereon, (3) require the payment to the United States of such royalty as may be specified in the lease but not less than 5 per centum of the gross production or value of the sulphur at the wellhead, and (4) contain such rental provisions and such other terms and provisions as the Secretary may by regulation prescribe at the time of offering the area for lease.
(k) Other mineral leases; award to highest bidder; terms and conditions; agreements for use of resources for shore protection, beach or coastal wetlands restoration, or other projects(1) The Secretary is authorized to grant to the qualified persons offering the highest cash bonuses on a basis of competitive bidding leases of any mineral other than oil, gas, and sulphur in any area of the outer Continental Shelf not then under lease for such mineral upon such royalty, rental, and other terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe at the time of offering the area for lease. (2)(A) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Secretary may negotiate with any person an agreement for the use of Outer Continental Shelf sand, gravel and shell resources—(i) for use in a program of, or project for, shore protection, beach restoration, or coastal wetlands restoration undertaken by a Federal, State, or local government agency; or (ii) for use in a construction project, other than a project described in clause (i), that is funded in whole or in part by or authorized by the Federal Government. (B) In carrying out a negotiation under this paragraph, the Secretary may assess a fee based on an assessment of the value of the resources and the public interest served by promoting development of the resources. No fee shall be assessed directly or indirectly under this subparagraph against a Federal, State, or local government agency. (C) The Secretary may, through this paragraph and in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, seek to facilitate projects in the coastal zone, as such term is defined in section 1453 of title 16, that promote the policy set forth in section 1452 of title 16. (D) Any Federal agency which proposes to make use of sand, gravel and shell resources subject to the provisions of this subchapter shall enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Secretary concerning the potential use of those resources. The Secretary shall notify the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate on any proposed project for the use of those resources prior to the use of those resources.
(l) Publication of notices of sale and terms of biddingNotice of sale of leases, and the terms of bidding, authorized by this section shall be published at least thirty days before the date of sale in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the Secretary.
(m) Disposition of revenuesAll moneys paid to the Secretary for or under leases granted pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Treasury in accordance with section 1338 of this title.
(n) Issuance of lease as nonprejudicial to ultimate settlement or adjudication of controversiesThe issuance of any lease by the Secretary pursuant to this subchapter, or the making of any interim arrangements by the Secretary pursuant to section 1336 of this title shall not prejudice the ultimate settlement or adjudication of the question as to whether or not the area involved is in the outer Continental Shelf.
(o) Cancellation of leases for fraudThe Secretary may cancel any lease obtained by fraud or misrepresentation.
(p) Leases, easements, or rights-of-way for energy and related purposes(1) In generalThe Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating and other relevant departments and agencies of the Federal Government, may grant a lease, easement, or right-of-way on the outer Continental Shelf for activities not otherwise authorized in this subchapter, the Deepwater Port Act of 1974 (33 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.), the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9101 et seq.), or other applicable law, if those activities—(A) support exploration, development, production, or storage of oil or natural gas, except that a lease, easement, or right-of-way shall not be granted in an area in which oil and gas preleasing, leasing, and related activities are prohibited by a moratorium; (B) support transportation of oil or natural gas, excluding shipping activities; (C) produce or support production, transportation, storage, or transmission of energy from sources other than oil and gas; (D) use, for energy-related purposes or for other authorized marine-related purposes, facilities currently or previously used for activities authorized under this subchapter, except that any oil and gas energy-related uses shall not be authorized in areas in which oil and gas preleasing, leasing, and related activities are prohibited by a moratorium; or (E) provide for, support, or are directly related to the injection of a carbon dioxide stream into sub-seabed geologic formations for the purpose of long-term carbon sequestration. (2) Payments and revenues(A) The Secretary shall establish royalties, fees, rentals, bonuses, or other payments to ensure a fair return to the United States for any lease, easement, or right-of-way granted under this subsection. (B) The Secretary shall provide for the payment of 27 percent of the revenues received by the Federal Government as a result of payments under this section from projects that are located wholly or partially within the area extending three nautical miles seaward of State submerged lands. Payments shall be made based on a formula established by the Secretary by rulemaking no later than 180 days after August 8, 2005, that provides for equitable distribution, based on proximity to the project, among coastal states that have a coastline that is located within 15 miles of the geographic center of the project. (3) Competitive or noncompetitive basisExcept with respect to projects that meet the criteria established under section 388(d) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Secretary shall issue a lease, easement, or right-of-way under paragraph (1) on a competitive basis unless the Secretary determines after public notice of a proposed lease, easement, or right-of-way that there is no competitive interest. (4) RequirementsThe Secretary shall ensure that any activity under this subsection is carried out in a manner that provides for—(A) safety; (B) protection of the environment; (C) prevention of waste; (D) conservation of the natural resources of the outer Continental Shelf; (E) coordination with relevant Federal agencies; (F) protection of national security interests of the United States; (G) protection of correlative rights in the outer Continental Shelf; (H) a fair return to the United States for any lease, easement, or right-of-way under this subsection; (I) prevention of interference with reasonable uses (as determined by the Secretary) of the exclusive economic zone, the high seas, and the territorial seas; (J) consideration of—(i) the location of, and any schedule relating to, a lease, easement, or right-of-way for an area of the outer Continental Shelf; and (ii) any other use of the sea or seabed, including use for a fishery, a sealane, a potential site of a deepwater port, or navigation; (K) public notice and comment on any proposal submitted for a lease, easement, or right-of-way under this subsection; and (L) oversight, inspection, research, monitoring, and enforcement relating to a lease, easement, or right-of-way under this subsection. (5) Lease duration, suspension, and cancellationThe Secretary shall provide for the duration, issuance, transfer, renewal, suspension, and cancellation of a lease, easement, or right-of-way under this subsection. (6) SecurityThe Secretary shall require the holder of a lease, easement, or right-of-way granted under this subsection to—(A) furnish a surety bond or other form of security, as prescribed by the Secretary; (B) comply with such other requirements as the Secretary considers necessary to protect the interests of the public and the United States; and (C) provide for the restoration of the lease, easement, or right-of-way. (7) Coordination and consultation with affected State and local governmentsThe Secretary shall provide for coordination and consultation with the Governor of any State or the executive of any local government that may be affected by a lease, easement, or right-of-way under this subsection. (8) RegulationsNot later than 270 days after August 8, 2005, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating, the Secretary of Commerce, heads of other relevant departments and agencies of the Federal Government, and the Governor of any affected State, shall issue any necessary regulations to carry out this subsection. (9) Effect of subsectionNothing in this subsection displaces, supersedes, limits, or modifies the jurisdiction, responsibility, or authority of any Federal or State agency under any other Federal law. (10) ApplicabilityThis subsection does not apply to any area on the outer Continental Shelf within the exterior boundaries of any unit of the National Park System, National Wildlife Refuge System, or National Marine Sanctuary System, or any National Monument.
Source: OLRC USLMURL: https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/95/xml_usc43@119-95.zipFetched: 6/7/2026