§ 581.28 Royalty.

(a) The royalty due the lessor on OCS minerals produced (i.e., sold, transferred, used, or otherwise disposed of) from a lease shall be set out in a separate schedule attached to and made a part of each lease and shall be as specified in the leasing notice. The royalty due on production shall be based on a percentage of the value or amount of the OCS mineral(s) produced, a sum assessed per unit of product, or other such method as the Secretary may prescribe in the leasing notice. When the royalty specified is a sum assessed per unit of product, the amount of the royalty shall be subject to an annual adjustment based on changes in the appropriate price index, when specified in the leasing notice. When the royalty is specified as a percentage of the value or amount of the OCS minerals produced, the Secretary will notify the lessee when and where royalty is to be delivered in kind. Unless stated otherwise in the lease, product valuation will be in accordance with the regulations in part 1206 of chapter XII. The value used in the computation of royalty shall be determined by the Director of the Office of Natural Resources Revenue. (b) When prescribed in the leasing notice and subsequently issued lease, royalty due on OCS minerals produced from a leasehold will be reduced for up to any 5 consecutive years, as specified by the lessee prior to the commencement of production, during the 1st through 15th year in the life of the lease. No royalty shall be due in any year of the specified 5-year period that occurs during the 1st through 10th years in the life of the lease, and a royalty of one-half the amount specified in the lease shall be due in any year of the specified 5-year period that occurs in the 11th through 15th year in the life of the lease. The lessee shall pay the amount specified in the lease rental for any royalty free year. The minimum royalty specified in the lease shall apply during any year of reduced royalty.