43 CFR 3137.71: What must I do to meet continuing development obligations?

(a) Once you meet initial development obligations, you must perform additional development. Work you did before meeting initial development obligations is not continuing development. Continuing development includes the following operations—

(1) Drilling, testing, or completing additional wells to the primary target or other unit formations;

(2) Drilling or completing additional wells that establish production of oil and gas;

(3) Recompleting wells or other operations that establish new unit production; or

(4) Drilling existing wells to a deeper target.

(b) No later than 90 calendar days after meeting initial development obligations, submit to BLM a plan that describes how you will meet continuing development obligations. You must submit to BLM updated continuing obligation plans as soon as you determine that, for whatever reason, the plan needs amending.

(1) If you have drilled a well that meets the productivity criteria, your plan must describe the activities to fully develop the oil and gas field.

(2) If you fulfilled your initial development obligations, but did not establish a well that meets the productivity criteria, your plan must describe the further actual or constructive drilling operations you will conduct.