(a) The applicant shall submit to the State Director, Utah State Office of the Bureau of Land Management, a written request for a combined hydrocarbon lease signed by the owner of the lease or valid claim which shall be accompanied by 3 copies of a plan of operations which shall meet the requirements of 43 CFR 3592.1 and which shall provide for reasonable protection of the environment and diligent development of the resources requiring enhanced recovery methods of development or mining.

(b) A plan of operations may be modified or amended before or after conversion of a lease or valid claim to reflect changes in technology, slippages in schedule beyond the control of the lessee, new information about the resource or the economic or environmental aspects of its development, changes to or initiation of applicable unit agreements or for other purposes. To obtain approval of a modification or amended plan, the applicant shall submit a written statement of the proposed changes or supplements and the justification for the changes proposed. Any modifications shall be in accordance with 43 CFR 3592.1(c). The approval of the modification or amendment is the responsibility of the authorized officer. Changes or modification to the plan of operations shall have no effect on the primary term of the lease. The authorized officer shall, prior to approving any amendment or modification, review the modification or amendment with the appropriate surface management agency. For leases within units of the National Park System, no amendment or modification shall be approved without the consent of the Regional Director of the National Park Service in accordance with §3140.7 of this title.

(c) The plan of operations may be for a single existing oil and gas lease or valid claim or for an area of proposed unit operation.

(d) The plan of operations shall identify by lease number all Federal oil and gas leases proposed for conversion and identify valid claims proposed for conversion by the recordation number of the mining claim.

(e) The plan of operations shall include any proposed designation of operator or proposed operating agreement.

(f) The plan of operations may include an exploration phase, if necessary, but it shall include a development phase. Such a plan can be approved even though it may indicate work under the exploration phase is necessary to perfect the proposed plan for the development phase as long as the overall plan demonstrates reasonable protection of the environment and diligent development of the resources requiring enhanced recovery methods of mining.

(g)

(1) Upon determination that the plan of operations is complete, the authorized officer shall suspend the term of the Federal oil and gas lease(s) as of the date that the complete plan was filed until the plan is finally approved or rejected. Only the term of the oil and gas lease shall be suspended, not any operation and production requirements thereunder.

(2) If the authorized officer determines that the plan of operations is not complete, the applicant shall be notified that the plan is subject to rejection if not completed within the period specified in the notice.

(3) The authorized officer may request additional data after the plan of operations has been determined to be complete. This request for additional information shall have no effect on the suspension of the running of the oil and gas lease.

[47 FR 22478, May 24, 1982, as amended at 55 FR 12351, Apr. 3, 1990]