(a) Resource extraction issuers. Every issuer that is required to file an annual report with the Commission on Form 10-K (17 CFR 249.310), Form 20-F (17 CFR 249.220f), or Form 40-F (17 CFR 249.240f) pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78m or 78o

(d)) and engages in the commercial development of oil, natural gas, or minerals must furnish a report on Form SD (17 CFR 249b.400) within the period specified in that Form disclosing the information required by the applicable items of Form SD as specified in that Form.

(b) Anti-evasion. Disclosure is required under this section in circumstances in which an activity related to the commercial development of oil, natural gas, or minerals, or a payment or series of payments made by a resource extraction issuer to a foreign government or the Federal Government for the purpose of commercial development of oil, natural gas, or minerals, is not, in form or characterization, within one of the categories of activities or payments specified in Form SD, but is part of a plan or scheme to evade the disclosure required under this section.

(c) Alternative reporting. An application for recognition by the Commission that an alternative reporting regime requires disclosure that satisfies the transparency objectives of Section 13(q) (15 U.S.C. 78m(q)), for purposes of alternative reporting pursuant to Item 2.01(c) of Form SD, must be filed in accordance with the procedures set forth in §240.0-13, except that, for purposes of this paragraph (c), applications may be submitted by resource extraction issuers, governments, industry groups, or trade associations.

(d) Exemptions—

(1) Conflicts of law. A resource extraction issuer that is prohibited by the law of the jurisdiction where the project is located from providing the payment information required by Form SD may exclude such disclosure, subject to the following conditions:

(i) The issuer has taken all reasonable steps to seek and use any exemptions or other relief under the applicable law of the foreign jurisdiction, and has been unable to obtain or use such an exemption or other relief;

(ii) The issuer must disclose on Form SD:

(A) The foreign jurisdiction for which it is omitting the disclosure pursuant to this paragraph (d)(1);

(B) The particular law of that jurisdiction that prevents the issuer from providing such disclosure; and

(C) The efforts the issuer has undertaken to seek and use exemptions or other relief under the applicable law of that jurisdiction, and the results of those efforts; and

(iii) The issuer must furnish as an exhibit to Form SD a legal opinion from counsel that opines on the issuer's inability to provide such disclosure without violating the foreign jurisdiction's law.

(2) Conflicts with pre-existing contracts. A resource extraction issuer that is unable to provide the payment information required by Form SD without violating one or more contract terms that were in effect prior to the effective date of this section may exclude such disclosure, subject to the following conditions:

(i) The issuer has taken all reasonable steps to obtain the consent of the relevant contractual parties, or to seek and use another contractual exception or other relief, to disclose the payment information, and has been unable to obtain such consent or other contractual exception or relief;

(ii) The issuer must disclose on Form SD:

(A) The jurisdiction for which it is omitting the disclosure pursuant to this paragraph (d)(2);

(B) The particular contract terms that prohibit the issuer from providing such disclosure; and

(C) The efforts the issuer has undertaken to obtain the consent of the contracting parties, or to seek and use another contractual exception or relief, to disclose the payment information, and the results of those efforts; and

(iii) The issuer must furnish as an exhibit to Form SD a legal opinion from counsel that opines on the issuer's inability to provide such disclosure without violating the contractual terms.

(3) Exemption for emerging growth companies and smaller reporting companies. An issuer that is an emerging growth company or a smaller reporting company, each as defined under §240.12b-2, is exempt from, and need not comply with, the requirements of this section, unless it is subject to the resource extraction payment disclosure requirements of an alternative reporting regime, which has been deemed by the Commission to require disclosure that satisfies the transparency objectives of Section 13(q) (15 U.S.C. 78m(q)), pursuant to §240.13q-1(c).

(4) Case-by-case exemption. A resource extraction issuer may file an application for exemptive relief under this section in accordance with the procedures set forth in §240.0-12.

(e) Compilation. To the extent practicable, the staff will periodically make a compilation of the information required to be submitted under this section publicly available online. The staff may determine the form, manner and timing of the compilation, except that no information included therein may be anonymized (whether by redacting the names of the resource extraction issuers or otherwise).

[86 FR 4714, Jan. 15, 2021]