Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 89.djvu/940

 89 STAT. 880

Exemption.

Report to Congress.

PUBLIC LAW 94-163—DEC. 22, 1975 barrels of crude oil, natural gas liquids equivalents, and natural gas equivalents. (2) One barrel of natural gas equivalent equals 5,626 cubic feet of natural gas measured at 14.73 pounds per square inch (MSL) and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. (3) One barrel of natural gas liquids equivalent e<juals 1.454 barrels of natural gas liquids at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. (c) The Secretary may, by amendment to the rule, exempt bidding for leases for lands located in frontier or other areas determined by the Secretary to be extremely high risk lands or to present unusually high cost exploration, or development, problems. (d) This section shall not be construed to prohibit the unitization of producing fields to increase production or maximize ultimate recovery of oil or natural gas, or both. (e) The Secretary shall study and report to the Congress, not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, with respect to the feasibility and desirability of extending the prohibition on joint bidding to— (1) bidding for any right to develop crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids on Federal lands other than those located on the Outer Continental Shelf; and (2) bidding for any right to develop coal and oil shale on such lands. PRODUCTION OF OIL OK GAS AT THE MAXIMUM E F F I C I E N T RATE AND TEMPORARY EMERGENCY PRODUCTION RATE

42 USC 6214.

SEC. 106. (a)(1) The Secretary of the Interior, by rule on the record after an opportunity for a hearing, shall, to the greatest extent practicable, determine the maximum efficient rate of production and, if any, the temporary emergency production rate for each field on Federal lands which produces, or is determined to be capable of producing, significant volumes of crude oil or natural gas, or both. (2) Except as provided in subsection (f), the President may, by rule or order, require crude oil or natural gas, or both, to be produced from fields on Federal lands designated by him— (A) at the maximum efficient rate of production, and (B) during a severe energy supply interruption, at the temporary emergency production rate as determined pursuant to paragraph (1) for such field. (b)(1) Each State or the appropriate agency thereof may, for the purposes of this section, pursuant to procedures and standards established by the State, determine the maximum efficient rate of production and, if any, the temporary emergency production rate, for each field (other than a field on Federal lands) within such State which produces, or is determined to be capable of producing, significant volumes of crude oil or natural gas, or Both. (2) If a State or the appropriate agency thereof has determined the maximum efficient rate of production and, if any, the temporary emergency production rate, or both, or their equivalents (however characterized), for any field (other than a field on Federal lands) within such State, the President may, by rule or order, during a severe energy supply interruption, require the production of such fields at the rates of production established by the State. (c) With respect to any field, which produces, or is determined to be capable of producing, significant volumes of crude oil, or natural gas, or both, which field is unitized and is composed of both Federal lands and lands other than Federal lands and there has been no determina-

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