(a) BLM will establish the appropriate effective date of an initial participating area or any revision to a participating area. The effective date may be, but is not limited to, the first day of the month in which:

(1) A well is completed that causes the participating area to be formed or revised;

(2) Commercial operations start; or

(3) New or additional technical information becomes known that provides a basis for revising the boundary (such as when production from, or injection to, an area outside the participating area first became known).

(b) The unit operator may request BLM to approve a specific effective date for the participating area or revision, but the date may not be earlier than the effective date of the unit.