Purpose.

§ 3150.0–1 Purpose. The purpose of this part is to establish procedures for conducting oil and gas geophysical exploration operations when authorization for such operations is required from the Bureau of Land Management. Geophysical exploration on public lands, the surface of which is administered by the Bureau, requires Bureau approval. The procedures in this part also apply to geophysical exploration conducted under the rights granted by any Federal oil and gas lease unless the surface is administered by the U.S. Forest Service. However, a lessee may elect to conduct exploration operations outside of the rights granted by the lease, in which case authorization from the surface managing agency or surface owner may be required. At the request of any other surface managing agency, the procedures in this part may be applied on a case-by-case basis to unleased public lands administered by such agency. The procedures of this part do not apply to: (a) Casual use activities; (b) Operations conducted on private surface overlying public lands unless such operations are conducted by a lessee under the rights granted by the Federal oil and gas lease; and (c) Exploration operations conducted in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in accordance with section 1002 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (See 50 CFR part 37).