Oil and Gas Land Review and CPL and RPL Exam - American ...

Federal Onshore Leases and FederalExploratory UnitsApproximately one-third of the mineralownership of the US is owned by the federalgovernment. These interests are managedby the Bureau of Land Management. Whilethe majority of federal lands are in thewestern states, there are also federal landsin most of the other states. This discussionwill cover how federal on-shore leases aregranted, the leasing process, and theprocess for forming federal exploratory units.EnvironmentalThis section covers a brief overview of theUS environmental legislation and how itimpacts the oil and gas industry. Most of thefocus is on federal laws regulating thedisposal of hazardous waste and thecleanup of sites contaminated by hazardoussubstances. The discussion also covers thepurpose and contents of an environmentalsite assessment.there are no licensing requirements forlandmen and since membership in AAPL isvoluntary, these ethical standards are a keyelement of AAPL membership and being aprofessional landman.Information on the requirements for CPLand RPL are included below.Continuing Education CreditsBy attending the entire course, RPLs andCPLs will earn 18 education credits,including one ethics and one ESA credit.Attorneys taking the review must notifyAAPL at the time of application if requestingCLE credits.There is no longer an option tosit for the CPL exam to satisfy additionalcontinuing education credits.Offshore / Outer Continental ShelfThe federal government owns approximately1.75 billion acres in the outer continentalshelf area of the United States. This areacontains a large percentage of US oil andgas reserves. This section will review thebasics of management of these minerals bythe Minerals Management Service and howleases are issued and managed.Mineral LandworkMost landmen may never become involvedwith mining and the US mining laws, but ageneral understanding of this area oflandwork is important for the CPL. Wepresent a brief overview of the Mining Lawof 1872 and how to acquire mineral rights toUS Public Domain lands.Federal Taxes on Oil and Gas IncomeThis section takes a brief look at federaltaxation of oil and gas income and includesa discussion on depletion, expensed items,capitalized items, and intangible drillingcosts. The focus is on developing a broadunderstanding of this area.EthicsThis section covers the AAPL Code ofEthics and Standards of Practice which arethe basis of conduct, business principles,and ideals for all AAPL members. Since