(a) The Secretary may waive, suspend, or reduce the rental, minimum royalty, and/or production royalty prescribed in a lease for a specified time period when the Secretary determines that it is in the National interest, it will result in the conservation of natural resources of the OCS, it will promote development, or the mine cannot be successfully operated under existing conditions.

(b) An application for waiver, suspension, or reduction of rental, minimum royalty, or production royalty under paragraph (a) of this section shall be filed in duplicate with the Director. The application shall contain the serial number(s) of the lease(s), the name of the lessee(s) of record, and the operator(s) if applicable. The application shall either:

(1)

(i) Show the location and extent of all mining operations and a tabulated statement of the minerals mined and subject to royalty for each of the last 12 months immediately prior to filing the application:

(ii) Contain a detailed statement of expenses and costs of operating the lease, the income from the sale of any lease products, and the amount of all overriding royalties and payments out of production paid to others than the United States; and

(iii) All facts showing whether or not the mine(s) can be successfully operated under the royalty fixed in the lease; or

(2) If no production has occurred from the lease, show that the lease cannot be successfully operated under the rental, royalty, and other conditions specified in the lease.

(c) The applicant for a waiver, suspension, or reduction under this section shall file documentation that the lessee and the royalty holders agree to a reduction of all other royalties from the lease so that the aggregate of all other royalties does not exceed one-half the amount of the reduced royalties that would be paid to the United States.