(a)-(c) [Reserved]

(d)

(1) The Director may approve the consolidation of two or more OCS mineral leases or portions of two or more OCS mineral leases into a single mining unit requested by lessees, or the Director may require such consolidation when the operation of those leases or portions of leases as a single mining unit is in the interest of conservation of the natural resources of the OCS or the prevention of waste. A mining unit may also include all or portions of one or more OCS mineral leases with all or portions of one or more adjacent State leases for minerals in a common orebody. A single unit operator shall be responsible for submission of required Delineation, Testing, and Mining Plans covering OCS mineral operations for an approved mining unit.

(2) Operations such as exploration, testing, and mining activities conducted in accordance with an approved plan on any lease or portion of a lease which is subject to an approved mining unit shall be considered operations on each of the leases that is made subject to the approved mining unit.

(3) Minimum royalty paid pursuant to a Federal lease, which is subject to an approved mining unit, is creditable against the production royalties allocated to that Federal lease during the lease year for which the minimum royalty is paid.

(4) Any OCS minerals produced from State and Federal leases which are subject to an approved mining unit shall be accounted for separately unless a method of allocating production between State and Federal leases has been approved by the Director and the appropriate State official.