§1336 Controversies Over Jurisdiction; Agreements; Payments; Final Settlement or Adjudication; Approval of Notice Concerning Oil and Gas Operations in Gulf of Mexico

Summary

If the United States and a State disagree about whether certain lands are covered by this law, the Secretary, with the Attorney General’s agreement, can make deals with the State, its local units, grantees, or a leaseholder about how existing mineral leases are run and how rents, royalties, and other payments are handled. The Secretary can also make deals with the State about allowing or not allowing new leases while the dispute is being settled. These deals do not limit other powers the Secretary has. Payments made under such deals count as meeting the rule in section 1335(a)(4). If a final decision finds the lands are covered, the leaseholder must follow section 1335(a) if they haven’t already, and then section 1335(b) will apply. The notice titled “Oil and Gas Operations in the Submerged Coastal Lands of the Gulf of Mexico” issued December 11, 1950 (15 F.R. 8835), as amended January 26, 1951 (16 F.R. 953), and supplemented by notices dated February 2, 1951 (16 F.R. 1203), March 5, 1951 (16 F.R. 2195), April 23, 1951 (16 F.R. 3623), June 25, 1951 (16 F.R. 6404), August 22, 1951 (16 F.R. 8720), October 24, 1951 (16 F.R. 10998), December 21, 1951 (17 F.R. 43), March 25, 1952 (17 F.R. 2821), June 26, 1952 (17 F.R. 5833), and December 24, 1952 (18 F.R. 48) is approved and confirmed.