(a)

(1) Royalties on geothermal resources, including byproducts, or on electricity produced using geothermal resources, will be at the royalty rate(s) specified in the lease, unless the Secretary of the Interior temporarily waives, suspends, or reduces that rate(s). Royalties are determined under 30 CFR part 1206, subpart H.

(2) Fees in lieu of royalties on geothermal resources are prescribed in 30 CFR part 1206, subpart H.

(3) Except for the amount credited against royalties for in-kind deliveries of electricity to a State or county under §1218.306, you must pay royalties and direct use fees in money.

(b)

(1) Except as specified in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, royalties or fees are due on—

(i) All geothermal resources produced from a lease and that are sold or used by the lessee or are reasonably susceptible to sale or use by the lessee, or

(ii) All proceeds derived from the sale of electricity produced using geothermal resources produced from a lease.

(2) For purposes of this subparagraph, the terms “Class I lease,” “Class II lease,” and “Class III lease” have the same meanings prescribed in §1206.351.

(i) For Class I leases, ONRR will allow free of royalty—

(A) Geothermal resources that are unavoidably lost or reinjected before use on or off the lease, as determined by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), or that are reasonably necessary to generate plant parasitic electricity or electricity for Federal lease operations; and

(B) A reasonable amount of commercially demineralized water necessary for power plant operations or otherwise used on or for the benefit of the lease.

(ii) For Class II and Class III leases where the lessee uses geothermal resources for commercial production or generation of electricity, or where geothermal resources are sold at arm's length for the commercial production or generation of electricity, ONRR will allow free of royalty or direct use fees geothermal resources that are:

(A) Unavoidably lost or reinjected before use on or off the lease, as determined by BLM;

(B) Reasonably necessary for the lessee to generate plant parasitic electricity or electricity for Federal lease operations, as approved by BLM; or

(C) Otherwise used for Federal lease operations related to commercial production or generation of electricity, as approved by BLM.

(iii) For Class II and Class III leases where the lessee uses the geothermal resources for a direct use or in a direct use facility, as defined in §1206.351, resources that are used to generate electricity for Federal lease operations or that are otherwise used for Federal lease operations are subject to direct use fees, except for geothermal resources that are unavoidably lost or reinjected before use on or off the lease, as determined by BLM.

(3) Royalties on byproducts are due at the time the recovered byproduct is used, sold, or otherwise finally disposed of. Byproducts produced and added to stockpiles or inventory do not require payment of royalty until the byproducts are sold, utilized, or otherwise finally disposed of. The ONRR may ask BLM to increase the lease bond to protect the lessor's interest when BLM determines that stockpiles or inventories become excessive.

(c) If BLM determines that geothermal resources (including byproducts) were avoidably lost or wasted from the lease, or that geothermal resources (including byproducts) were drained from the lease for which compensatory royalty (or compensatory fees in lieu of compensatory royalty) are due, the value of those geothermal resources, or the royalty or fees owed, will be determined under 30 CFR part 1206, subpart H.

(d) If a lessee receives insurance or other compensation for unavoidably lost geothermal resources (including byproducts), royalties at the rates specified in the lease (or fees in lieu of royalties) are due on the amount of, or as a result of, that compensation. This paragraph will not apply to compensation through self-insurance.

[72 FR 24458, May 2, 2007]