Oil and Gas Leasing; National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is amending its regulations at 43 CFR part 3130 pertaining to oil and gas resources in the National Petroleum Reserve--Alaska (NPR-A). The rule makes oil and gas administrative procedures in NPR-A consistent with Section 347 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The rule amends the administrative procedures for the efficient transfer, consolidation, segregation, suspension, and unitization of Federal leases in the NPR-A. The rule also changes the way the BLM processes lease renewals, lease extensions, lease expirations, lease agreements, exploration incentives, lease consolidations, and termination of administration for conveyed lands in the NPR-A. Finally, the rule makes the NPR-A regulation on additional bonding consistent with the regulations that apply outside of the NPR-A.