(a) Within 90 days of receipt of an application to purchase federally-owned mineral interests, the authorized officer shall, if the application meets the requirements for further processing, determine the amount of deposit required and so inform the applicant.

(b) No application filed under this subpart shall be processed until the applicant has either—

(1) Deposited with the authorized officer an amount of money that the authorized officer estimates is needed to cover administrative costs of processing, including, but not limited to, costs of conducting an exploratory program, if one is required, to determine the character of the mineral deposits in the land, evaluating the existing data [or the data obtained under an approved exploratory program] to aid in determining the fair market value of the mineral interests to be conveyed, and preparing and issuing the documents of conveyance, or

(2) Has obtained the consent of the authorized officer to conduct an exploratory program, such program to be conducted only under a plan of operations approved by the authorized officer and deposited with the authorized officer an amount of money the authorized officer estimates is needed to cover administrative costs of processing, including, but not limited to, costs of evaluating existing data and data submitted from an approved exploratory program to determine the fair market value of the mineral interests to be conveyed and preparing and issuing the documents of conveyance.

The authorized officer, in reaching a determination as to whether there are any known mineral values in the land and, if so, the estimated costs of an exploratory program, if one is needed, will rely upon reports on minerals prepared by or reviewed and approved by the Bureau of Land Management.

(c) The authorized officer shall inform the applicant of his determination as to the need for an exploratory program, and where appropriate, the estimated cost of such a program. The applicant may request that the exploratory program be arranged by the authorized officer or request the consent of the authorized officer to accomplish any required exploratory program by other means, at his own expense, under a plan of operations approved by the authorized officer and to provide the results to the authorized officer for his use and approval. The applicant shall, within 60 days of receipt of such notice, or any extension thereof, respond to the authorized officer's notice, stating whether he wishes to have the authorized officer arrange to have conducted the required exploratory program or requests the consent of the authorized officer to accomplish any required exploratory program by other means. Failure to respond to said notice shall void the application.

(d) If the applicant requests that any required exploratory program be arranged by the authorized officer, he shall submit the sum of money required under paragraph (b) of this section and the authorized officer shall have the exploratory program accomplished so as to aid in determining the fair market value of the Federal mineral interests covered by the application.

(e) If the applicant requests the consent of the authorized officer to accomplish any required exploratory program by other means, at his own expense, he shall at the time of making his request for such consent, file a plan of operations to carry out any required exploratory program for approval by the authorized officer. Such plan of operations shall be sufficient to provide the resource and economic data needed to aid in determining the fair market value of the Federal mineral interests to be conveyed. Said resource and economic data shall include, where appropriate, but not be limited to, geologic maps, geologic cross-sections, tables and descriptive information encompassing lithologic, geochemical, and geophysical data, assays of samples, drill logs and outcrop sections, which aid in establishing the location, nature, quantity, and grade, and which aid in determining the fair market value of the Federal mineral interests in the land covered by the application. The plan of operations shall conform to the laws, regulations and ordinances of all governmental bodies having jurisdiction over the lands covered by the application. The authorized officer shall decide within 90 days of receipt of said request whether he shall or shall not give his consent. The authorized officer shall not give his consent if he determines that the plan of operations is not adequate to supply the resource and economic data needed to aid him in determining the fair market value of the Federal mineral interests to be conveyed. If the authorized officer, in his discretion, approves the applicant's plan of operations, the applicant may proceed to execute the plan of operations, subject to the supervision of the authorized officer. If the authorized officer does not give his consent to the applicant's request, the applicant may, within 60 days of such refusal, avail himself of the provisions of paragraph (d) of this section. Failure to deposit the required sum within the 60 day period shall void the application. All resource and economic data obtained from the approved exploratory program shall be supplied the authorized officer. The authorized officer shall supply that data needed for determination of the economic value of mineral resources to the Bureau of Land Management. The authorized officer relying upon those determinations shall determine the fair market value of the Federal mineral interests in the land covered by the application. If the authorized officer determines that the resource and economic data supplied from an approved exploratory program is not adequate to aid in determining the fair market value of the Federal mineral interests to be conveyed, he shall so notify the applicant and state what additional data is needed.

(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraphs of this section, an application may be rejected without the applicant meeting the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section if the authorized officer determines from an examination of the application or of data readily available to him relating to the land concerned that the application does not meet the requirements of the Act.

[44 FR 1342, Jan. 4, 1979, as amended at 51 FR 9658, Mar. 20, 1986; 60 FR 12711, Mar. 8, 1995]