(a) After a plan of operations is found acceptable, and is approved, the authorized officer shall prepare and submit to the owner, for execution, a combined hydrocarbon lease containing all appropriate terms and conditions, including any necessary stipulations that were part of the oil and gas lease being converted, as well as any additional stipulations, such as those required to ensure compliance with the plan of operations.

(b) The authorized officer shall not sign the combined hydrocarbon lease until it has been executed by the conversion applicant and the lease or claim to be converted has been formally relinquished to the United States.

(c) The effective date of the combined hydrocarbon lease shall be the first day of the month following the date that the authorized officer signs the lease.

(d)

(1) Except to the extent that any such lease would exceed 5,210 acres, the authorized officer may issue, upon the request of the applicant, 1 combined hydrocarbon lease to cover contiguous oil and gas leases or valid claims based on mineral locations which have been approved for conversion.

(2) To the extent necessary to promote the development of the resource, the authorized officer may issue, upon the request of the applicant, one combined hydrocarbon lease that does not exceed 5,760 acres, which shall be as nearly compact as possible, to cover non-contiguous oil and gas leases or valid claims which have been approved for conversion.

[47 FR 22478, May 24, 1982, as amended at 70 FR 58614, Oct. 7, 2005]