Online Public Posting of Applications for Permit to Drill and Notices of Staking

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240
https://www.blm.gov

April 26, 2017

In Reply Refer To:

3100 (310) P  

EMS TRANSMISSION 05/15/2017

Instruction Memorandum No. 2017-074       

Expires:  09/30/2020

To:                   State Directors (AK, CA, CO, ES, MT, NV, NM, UT, and WY)

From:               Assistant Director, Energy, Minerals and Realty Management

Subject:           Online Public Posting of Applications for Permit to Drill and Notices of Staking                                                   

Program Area:  Oil and Gas Permitting.

Purpose:  This Instruction Memorandum (IM) provides guidance to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) field and state offices for electronic filing (e-filing) and posting on the internet of Applications for Permit to Drill (APD) and Notices of Staking (NOS) required by the amendment to the Onshore Oil and Gas Order 1 (Onshore Order 1).

Policy/Action:  An amendment to the Onshore Order 1 requires e-filing and public posting of pending NOSs and APDs on the internet. The BLM National Operation Center will automatically update the pending NOS and APD list every night at https://reports.blm.gov website from the Automated Fluid Minerals Support System (AFMSS) 2 database.  BLM field and state offices no longer need to post to their local websites, since this “30 day Federal Public Posting” meets the regulatory requirements.

The information posted on the internet will be consistent with what 43 CFR 3162.3-1(g) has already identified: the company/operator name; the well name and number; and the well location. This public electronic posting will not conflict with the BLM's statutory obligations to protect confidential business information.

The e-filing and internet posting requirement applies to APDs or NOSs for Federal minerals, but does not apply to APDs or NOSs for Indian minerals.

Timeframe:  This IM is effective immediately. 

Budget Impact:  Posting and using the website for APD and NOS location information should have no budget impact and may save costs associated with having individual state or field offices’ maintain posting.

Background: The amendment to Onshore Order 1 was published in the Federal Register January 10, 2017, at 82 FR 2906, and became effective February 9, 2017.  However, due to a Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies from the White House dated January 20, 2017, the BLM postponed the effective date of the amendment until March 21, and the implementation date until April 20, 2017. The amendment requires the e-filing and public internet posting of all APDs and NOSs.

Section III.E.1 of the pre-amended Onshore Order 1 required the BLM to post information about the APD or NOS in a publically accessible area of the local BLM field office having jurisdiction.  The pre-existing section III.E.1 also suggested that information be posted on the internet when possible, which some BLM field offices were doing.

Section III.E.1 of the amended Onshore Order 1 now requires the operator to e-file and the BLM to post information about the APD or NOS for Federal oil and gas leases on the internet.

Manual/ Handbook Sections Affected: No BLM Handbooks or Manuals will be affected.

Coordination: This IM was coordinated with the National Operations Center AFMSS 2 development team.

Contact: For additional clarification or information please contact me at 202-208-4201 or tspisak@blm.gov; Steven Wells, Division Chief, Fluid Minerals (WO-310) at 202-912-7143 or s1wells@blm.gov; or Janna Simonsen, Senior Natural Resource Specialist (WO-310) at 202-912-7154 or jsimonsen@blm.gov.

Signed by:                                                                   Authenticated by:

Timothy R. Spisak                                                      Robert M. Williams

Acting Assistant Director                                           Division of IT Policy and Planning,WO-870

Energy, Minerals and Realty Management