(a) Owners of oil and gas leases in Special Tar Sand Areas which are scheduled to expire prior to the effective date of these regulations or within 6 months thereafter, may preserve the right to convert their leases to combined hydrocarbon leases by filing a Notice of Intent to Convert with the State Director, Utah State Office, Bureau of Land Management, 136 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111.

(b) A letter, submitted by the lessee, notifying the Bureau of Land Management of the lessee's intention to submit a plan of operations shall constitute a notice of intent to convert a lease. The Notice of Intent shall contain the lease number.

(c) The Notice of Intent shall be filed prior to the expiration date of the lease. The notice shall preserve the lessee's conversion rights only for a period ending 6 months after the effective date of this subpart.