Permit fees

Section 17 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226) is further amended by adding at the end the following: (r) Fee for commingling of production (1) In general The Secretary of the Interior shall approve applications allowing for the commingling of production from two or more sources (including the area of an oil and gas lease, the area included in a drilling spacing unit, a unit participating area, a communitized area, or non-Federal property) before production reaches the point of royalty measurement regardless of ownership, the royalty rates, and the number or percentage of acres for each source if the applicant pays an application fee of $10,000 and agrees to install measurement devices for each source, utilize an allocation method that achieves volume measurement uncertainty levels within plus or minus 2 percent during the production phase reported on a monthly basis, or utilize an approved periodic well testing methodology. Production from multiple oil and gas leases, drilling spacing units, communitized areas, or participating areas from a single wellbore shall be considered a single source. Nothing in this subsection shall prevent the Secretary of the Interior from continuing the current practice of exercising discretion to authorize higher percentage volume measurement uncertainty levels if appropriate technical and economic justifications have been provided. (2) Revenue allocation Fees received under this subsection shall be deposited into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. (s) Fees for permits-by-rule (1) In general The Secretary shall establish, by regulation not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this subsection, a permit-by-rule process under which a leaseholder may receive approval to drill for oil and gas if the leaseholder certifies compliance with such regulations and pays a fee of $5,000. Such permit-by-rule process shall allow drilling operations to commence no later than 45 days after the leaseholder has filed a registration that certifies compliance with such regulations and paid the fee required by this paragraph. (2) Revenue allocation Fees received under this subsection shall be deposited into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts..