WILKERSON, GREGG, Bureau of Land Management, Bakersfield, CA

ABSTRACT: History of Hydrocarbon Management on Public Lands in California

Regulation of minerals on federal lands has it roots in 9th Century practices in Europe. These practices came to the American West as informal mining camps were set up, each having their own rules. These rules became formalized in mining acts of 1866, 1870, and 1872. Oil development on western federal lands was administered through oil placer acts of 1870, 1887, and 1903. In 1920, the Mineral Leasing Act exempted oil, gas, and coal from the mining laws and established a 2-tier leasing system. As part of the anti-trust legislative atmosphere at the time, independents were given equal footing with large oil corporations through a lottery system for leasing in wildcat areas outside of known geological structures. In 1969 the National Environmental Protection Act required federal land man gement agencies to conduct environmental reviews of all federal exploration and development projects, and in 1976, the Federal Land Management and Policy Act prescribed procedures for administering hydrocarbon mineral rights on public land. The Federal On-Shore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1987 removed the 2-tier leasing system and required all tracts to offered for competitive bids. This had a major impact on independent oil companies. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 and other state and local environmental acts are having great effect on leasing programs and procedures on public lands in California. In addition to the laws regulating mineral leasing, a host of technical requirements have developed in federal regulation which mirror advances in drilling and production technologie .

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90992©1993 AAPG Pacific Section Meeting, Long Beach, California, May 5-7, 1993.