# 2026-12734: BLM Proposes New Bond Rules for Oil and Gas Leasing 2026-12734, Oil and Gas Leasing, is a Federal Register proposed rule from Interior Department, Land Management Bureau published 2026-06-24, effective Send your comments on this proposed rule to the BLM on or before August 24, 2026. The BLM is not obligated to consider any comments received after this date in making its decision on the final rule.; deemed significant under Executive Order 12866; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-07-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12734 - As of: 2026-07-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Document number: 2026-12734 - Title: Oil and Gas Leasing - Type: Proposed Rule - Agencies: Interior Department; Land Management Bureau - Citation: 91 FR 38084 - Published: 2026-06-24 - Effective: Send your comments on this proposed rule to the BLM on or before August 24, 2026. The BLM is not obligated to consider any comments received after this date in making its decision on the final rule. - Comments close: 2026-08-24 - Significant: yes (FR_METADATA) - Touches household money: yes - Regulation identifier numbers: 1004-AF05 - Last updated: 2026-07-01 ## In one line BLM Proposes New Bond Rules for Oil and Gas Leasing ## Summary The Bureau of Land Management is updating its oil and gas leasing rules to make sure public lands are well cared for while supporting American energy. These changes affect companies leasing land for oil and gas, adjusting bond amounts and royalty rules, and aim to simplify the leasing process. You’ve got until August 24, 2026, to share your thoughts before the new rules take shape! ## Abstract The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing to revise its oil and gas leasing regulations to reflect new requirements in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB); policy direction in Executive Orders (E.O.) entitled Unleashing American Energy and Ensuring Lawful Governance and Implementing the President's "Department of Government Efficiency" Deregulatory Initiative and Modernizing Payments To and From America's Bank Account; and policy guidance in Secretary's Order entitled Unleashing American Energy. In addition, the proposed rule would reflect provisions of the Royalty Resiliency Act, which pertains to applications for oil and gas agreements for allocation schedules that outline how royalties would be distributed across different leases within the agreement. The BLM proposes to return the minimum bond amounts to those prior to the finalization of the 2024 rule. Finally, the proposed rule would improve the BLM's leasing process to ensure stewardship of public lands as required by the Mineral Leasing Act (MLA) and as directed by the OBBB and the above Executive orders. ## Effects PRIA read - Bond Minimums Returned to Pre-2024: benefit, high. The BLM proposes to return the minimum oil and gas lease bond amounts to the levels that existed before the 2024 Leasing Rule. The rule notes current minimums are $150,000 for individual lease bonds and $500,000 for statewide bonds and proposes to reduce the minimums back to the pre-2024 amounts. - Royalties Reverted to Specific Rates: mixed, medium. The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) returned the minimum royalty rate for oil and gas production to 12.5 percent and restored the royalty rate for reinstated leases to 16.67 percent. The proposed rule would reflect those statutory royalty rates in the BLM's regulations. - Restore Noncompetitive Leasing And Replacement Sales: benefit, medium. The BLM proposes to reintroduce noncompetitive leasing and implement OBBB requirements such as holding four lease sales each fiscal year in enumerated States, offering for lease sale 50 percent of available parcels nominated in a resource management plan, and holding a replacement sale if a sale is… - Big Fee Changes: Lower Application, New Protest Fee: mixed, medium. The BLM proposes to cut the competitive oil and gas lease application fee from $3,100 to $155 and reduce lease consolidation fees from $575 to $320, create a new $1 per page filing fee for protests (including attachments) for each page over 50, and remove a $30 renewal exploration permit fee in Ala… - New Reporting and Royalty Payment Rule (RRA): cost, medium. To implement the Royalty Resiliency Act (RRA) of 2024, the BLM proposes regulations requiring reporting and payment for production and royalty based on the proposed allocation for pending Federal oil and gas agreements (such as unit and communitization agreements) until the BLM issues a final decis… ## Related documents - [2026-18261](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-18261): National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Production Site Development, 2026-09-08 - [2026-12738](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12738): Royalty for Oil and Gas Lost From Onshore Federal and Indian Leases, 2026-06-24 - [2026-09386](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-09386): Rescission of Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, 2026-05-12 - [2026-09387](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-09387): Revision of Regulations for Grazing Administration, Exclusive of Alaska, 2026-05-12 - [2026-20020](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20020): Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Resource Management Pl…, 2026-09-30 - [2026-19769](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19769): Notice of Intent To Amend the Winnemucca District Resource Management Plan for the Western Quarry Limestone Project, Humboldt County, Nevad…, 2026-09-28 ## Sources - [2026-12734 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/24/2026-12734/oil-and-gas-leasing) - [2026-12734 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-24/pdf/2026-12734.pdf) ## Related - [Previous: 2026-12712, Revisions to Financial Forms Reporting and Filing Requirements](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12712) - [Next: 2026-12738, Royalty for Oil and Gas Lost From Onshore Federal and Indian Leases](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12738) - [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12734 (as of 2026-07-01).