(a) When the leasing notice specifies that payment of a portion of the bonus bid can be deferred, the lessee shall be required to submit a surety or personal bond to guarantee payment of a deferred portion of the bid. Upon the payment of the full amount of the cash bonus bid, the lessee's bond will be released.

(b) All bonds to guarantee payment of the deferred portion of the high cash bonus bid furnished by the lessee must be in a form or on a form approved by the Deputy Director. A single copy of the required form is to be executed by the principal or, in the case of surety bonds, by both the principal and an acceptable surety.

(1) Only those surety bonds issued by qualified surety companies approved by the Department of the Treasury shall be accepted (see Department of the Treasury Circular No. 570 and any supplemental or replacement circulars).

(2) Personal bonds shall be accompanied by a cashier's check, certified check, or negotiable U.S. Treasury bonds of an equal value to the amount specified in the bond. Negotiable Treasury bonds shall be accompanied by a proper conveyance of full authority to the Director to sell such securities in case of default in the performance of the terms and conditions of the lease.

(c) Prior to the commencement of any activity on a lease(s), the lessee shall submit a surety or personal bond as described in §582.40 of this title. Prior to the approval of a Delineation, Testing, or Mining Plan, the bond amount shall be adjusted, if appropriate, to cover the operations and activities described in the proposed plan.

[76 FR 64623, Oct. 18, 2011, as amended at 80 FR 57098, Sept. 22, 2015]