Statutes
The Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior oversees mineral resource development on Federal and Indian lands and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The laws below pertain to mineral leases on Federal and Indian lands and the OCS.
| Law Name | Citation | Date | Land Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royalty Resiliency Act | 30 U.S.C. 1701 | Sept. 20, 2024 | Federal Onshore, Indian, and Outer Continental Shelf | Modifies the process under which oil and gas leaseholders who have entered into certain joint drilling agreements to drill wells on leased land pay royalties to the Department of the Interior under the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act of 1982. |
| Federal Oil & Gas Royalty Management Act (FOGRMA) of 1982 | Pub. L. 97-451 | Jan. 12, 1983 | Federal Onshore, Indian, and Outer Continental Shelf | Grants the Secretary of the Interior authority for managing and collecting oil and gas royalties from leases on Federal and Indian lands. |
| Amendments to the FOGRMA by the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Simplification and Fairness Act (RSFA) in 1996 (PL 104-185) | Pub. L. 104-185 | 1996 | Federal Onshore, Indian, and Outer Continental Shelf | Revising FOGRMA in 1996 to improve the management of royalties from federal onshore and offshore oil and gas leases, and to reduce disputes and litigation over royalty payments. |
| Energy Policy Act of 2005 (PDF) | Pub. L. 109-58 | Aug. 8, 2005 | Federal Onshore and Outer Continental Shelf | Addresses energy production in the United States, including the production, transportation, and transmission of energy on the Outer Continental Shelf from sources other than oil and gas (e.g., wind energy); incentives for oil and gas development; and provisions to access oil and gas resources on Federal lands. |
| Lease, Sale or Surrender of Allotted or Unallotted Lands | 25 U.S.C. 396d | Jan. 7, 2003 | Indian (Allotted) | States that all lands allotted to Indians, except those made to members of the Five Civilized Tribes and Osage, may be leased for mining purposes for any term of years as may be deemed advisable by the Secretary of the Interior. Section 396d establishes that all operations under any oil, gas, or other mineral lease issued pursuant to the terms of 25 U.S.C. 396a to 396g or any other Act affecting restricted Indian lands shall be subject to the rules and regulations promulgated by the Secretary of the Interior. |
| Indian Mineral Development Act of 1982 | 25 U.S.C. 2103 | Jan. 22, 2002 | Indian | Provides Indian tribes with flexibility in the development and sale of mineral resources, including opportunities to enter into joint venture agreements with mineral developers. |
| Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 | 30 U.S.C. 1001 | 1970 | Federal Onshore | Allows the leasing of Federal lands under BLM’s administration for geothermal resource development, excluding prohibited lands. |
| Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) of 1953 | 43 U.S.C. 1353 | 1953 | Outer Continental Shelf | Gives the Secretary of the Interior responsibility for administering mineral and energy resources exploration, development, and production on the Outer Continental Shelf, subject to environmental safeguards. Mandates receipt of fair market value for mineral leasing. |
| Mineral Leasing Act (MLA) of 1920 | 30 U.S.C. 1923 | 1920 | Federal Onshore (Public Domain) | Creates a system of leasing mineral resources on Federal lands for extraction and grants BLM authority to administer mineral leasing. |