Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing-Clarifying Amendments

This rule clarifies amendments to regulations on Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) bidding systems. The amendments make explicit that water depth and production timing on leases issued after 2000 and located in a field with leases issued earlier do not result in any modifications in the way we determine the royalty suspension volume (RSV) available to a field's eligible leases issued between 1996 and 2000. Specifically, this rule clarifies that RSV production from a lease issued after 2000 that is part of a field that was granted royalty relief under the Deep Water Royalty Relief Act (DWRRA) counts toward the total eligible field relief.