Federal Register #2026-12734

BLM Proposed Rule Revising Oil and Gas Leasing Regulations

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, is proposing updates to its oil and gas leasing regulations. - Government Buyer: - U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) - Purpose and Scope: - Revises oil and gas leasing regulations to align with new legislative requirements from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) and the Royalty Resiliency Act (RRA) - Incorporates policy guidance from Executive Orders and Secretary's Orders - Key Regulatory Changes: - Returns minimum bond amounts for oil and gas leases to levels prior to the 2024 rule - Updates the leasing process to improve stewardship of public lands - Revises royalty distribution mechanisms - Reduces filing fees for competitive oil and gas lease applications and lease consolidations - Introduces a nominal per-page fee for protests exceeding 50 pages - Notable Requirements: - No specific products, services, OEMs, or vendors are requested - The opportunity is a regulatory rulemaking, not a procurement of goods or services - BLM is seeking public input and comments on the proposed changes

Description

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to revise its oil and gas leasing regulations to incorporate new legislative requirements, policy guidance, and to improve stewardship of public lands as mandated by the Mineral Leasing Act and related executive orders. The proposed rule reflects provisions of the Royalty Resiliency Act and aims to enhance the leasing process, bond requirements, and royalty distribution mechanisms. It includes returning minimum bond amounts to prior levels and improving the leasing process to ensure stewardship of public lands. Comments on the proposed rule are to be sent to the BLM on or before August 24, 2026, and comments received after this date may not be considered.

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