Coastal Plain exploration incentives and activities

(a) Exploration incentives (1) Waiver, suspension, or reduction (A) In general To encourage the greatest ultimate recovery of oil and gas or in the interest of conservation of the Coastal Plain, the Secretary may waive, suspend, or reduce the rental fees or minimum royalty, or reduce the royalty on an entire leasehold on the Coastal Plain (including on any lease operated pursuant to a unit agreement), whenever the Secretary determines, after consultation with the State of Alaska and the North Slope Borough, and with the concurrence of any Regional Corporation for a lease that includes land that was made available for acquisition by the Regional Corporation pursuant to applicable law, that— (i) a waiver, suspension, or reduction is necessary to promote development; or (ii) the applicable lease cannot be successfully operated under the applicable terms. (B) Applicability Subparagraph (A) shall apply to any lease on the Coastal Plain that is in effect on or after the date of enactment of this Act. (2) Suspension of operations and production Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may, on the request of the lessee, assent to the suspension of operations and production on any lease or unit on the Coastal Plain. (3) Suspension of payments (A) In general In the interest of conservation of the Coastal Plain, the Secretary may direct or assent to the suspension of operations and production of any lease or unit on the Coastal Plain. (B) Payments If the operations or production of a lease or unit is suspended under subparagraph (A), any payment of acreage rental or minimum royalty prescribed by that lease or unit shall be suspended during the period the lease or unit is suspended. (C) Extension If the operations or production of a lease or unit is suspended under subparagraph (A), the term of that lease or unit shall be extended by adding the duration of the suspension period to the term of the lease or unit. (b) Exploration activities (1) In general Any agency of the United States or person authorized by the Secretary may conduct geological and geophysical exploration activities in the Coastal Plain which do not interfere with operations or production under any contract maintained or previously granted. (2) Information Any agency of the United States or person authorized by the Secretary carrying out activities described in paragraph (1) shall provide to the Secretary access to, and copies of, all data and information (including processed, analyzed, and interpreted information) obtained from those activities.