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Glossary
8(g)
The 8(g) zone is the offshore region within three miles of a state shoreline. A portion (27%) of revenue from production in the 8(g) zone is distributed to the respective states that border the zone. The 8(g) zone is named for the section within the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act that designates it.
Abandoned mine land fee
A fee for current day coal production that funds reclamation of mines abandoned before 1977.
Accounting year
This data is based on transactions that were reported to and accepted into ONRR’s financial system in a given a year. Since companies are allowed to adjust and correct data up to seven years after a transaction takes place, accounting year data can include corrections for sales that took place in previous years. This data is most useful when analyzing dollars ONRR collected and disbursed in a given year.
Acquired lands
Acquired lands are public lands that were obtained by the federal government through purchase, condemnation, gift, or exchange.
Acquisition fee
A fee for securing an uncompetitive lease in place of a bonus.
Annual fee
A yearly maintenance fee for maintaining a claim.
APD
Application for permit to drill
Appropriation
There are two main congressional actions that result in federal spending: authorization and appropriation. A fund or recipient may be authorized to receive money during the federal budget process, but Congress must still designate a specific amount to be distributed to the fund or recipient. This process is called “appropriation”.
Authorization
An act of Congress to obligate funding for a program or agency. An authorization may be effective for one year, a fixed number of years, or an indefinite period. An authorization may be for a definite amount of money or for 'such sums as may be necessary.' The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization and then appropriation.
Barrel
In the U.S., an oil barrel is defined as 42 US gallons, and abbreviated as bbl.
bbl
Abbreviation for a unit of measurement of oil. One bbl, or oil barrel, is defined as 42 US gallons.
Biomass
Organic nonfossil matter used as fuel. Sources of biomass include wood, wood waste products, biofuel, and many plant-based materials.
BLM
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and manages exploration, development, and production of natural resources on federal lands.
BOEM
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and is responsible for managing the development of energy and mineral resources on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.
Bonus
The amount the highest bidder paid for a natural resource lease.
BSEE
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and is charged with promoting safety, protecting the environment, and conserving resources offshore through regulatory oversight and enforcement.
Calendar year (CY)
The calendar year runs from January 1 through December 31. The two annual time periods for reporting data are calendar year and fiscal year.
Claim-staking fee
A fee that covers the government’s administrative costs in the claim-staking process for mining on federal lands.
Coastal political subdivision
A state's political subdivision, such as a county, parish, borough, or city. The political subdivision must be within the coastal zone as defined in the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972.
Civil society
People and organizations not associated with industry or government, such as trade unions, issue-based coalitions, faith-based organizations, indigenous-peoples movements, the media, think tanks, and foundations.
Crude oil
Oil is that is not treated or refined.
Direct use
Geothermal energy (hot water near the surface of the earth) can be used directly for heating buildings, drying crops, heating water, and other industrial processes.
Disbursement
After collecting revenue from natural resource extraction, the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) distributes that money to different agencies, funds, and local governments for public use. This process is called “disbursement.”
Dry natural gas
Natural gas that remains after removing the liquefiable hydrocarbon portion from the gas stream (i.e., gas after lease, field, or plant separation) and after removing any quantities of nonhydrocarbon gases that render the gas unmarketable.
DOI
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is a Cabinet-level agency responsible for managing America’s natural and cultural resources.
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
A document intended to provide decision makers and the public with information about the potential impacts of major federal actions and alternatives to them. Federal agencies prepare an EIS if a proposed federal action is determined to significantly affect the quality of the human environment, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
EITI Standard
The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Standard is an international standard for openness around the management of revenue from natural resources. Governments disclose how much they receive from extractive companies operating in their country and these companies disclose how much they pay. Governments sign up to implement the EITI Standard and must meet seven requirements. In 2017, the U.S. withdrew from EITI as an Implementing Country, but remains committed to institutionalizing the EITI principles of transparency and accountability.
Extractive industry
Oil, gas, and mining industries that extract natural resources.
Fair market value
The estimated price for a natural resource lease, based on the government’s analysis and the geological resources on the lands or waters.
Federal land
Lands and waters owned by the federal government, including public domain lands, acquired lands, and the Outer Continental Shelf.
Fiscal year (FY)
The federal government’s fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30. The two annual time periods for reporting data are calendar year and fiscal year.
Fossil fuel
An energy source formed in the Earth’s crust from decayed organic material. Common fossil fuels include oil, gas, and coal.
Fractionation
The division of ownership among multiple individuals.
GOMESA
The Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) of 2006 directs a portion of revenue from gulf oil and gas royalties to the states of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The act also directs a portion of gulf revenue be disbursed to the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Gross domestic product (GDP)
A measure of the total value of goods and services produced in a specific area. The Bureau of Economic Analysis measures GDP by adding up the “real value added” for each industry that contributes to the U.S. economy.
Hydraulic fracturing
A well development process that involves injecting water under high pressure into a bedrock formation through the well, to increase the size and extent of existing bedrock fractures.
IMDA
The Indian Mineral Development Act of 1982, which increased Indian self-governance concerning extraction.
Independent Administrator (IA)
The EITI International Board requires participating countries to appoint an Independent Administrator to help apply the international standards. The USEITI Independent Administrator is Deloitte & Touche LLP.
Indian lands
Lands owned by Native Americans, including tribal lands held in trust by the federal government for a tribe’s use, Indian allotments held in trust by the federal government for individual use, and lands held by Alaska Native corporations.
Kilowatt hour (kWh)
A measure of electrical energy equivalent to a power consumption of 1,000 watts for 1 hour; abbreviated as kWh.
kWh
Abbreviation for “kilowatt hour,” a measure of electrical energy equivalent to a power consumption of 1,000 watts for 1 hour.
Land and Water Conservation Fund
Provides matching grants to states and local governments to buy and develop public outdoor recreation areas across the 50 states.
Lease
A contract that allows a company to be the exclusive entity that can apply to explore for and extract natural resources within a specific tract of federal lands or waters.
Lease condensate
Light liquid hydrocarbons recovered from oil and natural gas wells during production.
Locatable minerals
Locatable minerals are minerals that may be “located” and obtained by filing a mining claim. Locatable minerals include gold, silver, copper, lead, and many other metallic and nonmetallic minerals.
long ton
A long ton (also known as “imperial ton” or “displacement ton”) is 2,240 pounds, compared to a conventional ton (or “short ton”), which is 2,000 pounds.
Margin of variance
The percentage difference that the USEITI Multi-Stakeholder Group defined as significant for each revenue type as part of the reconciliation process.
Material variance
A discrepancy between government-reported and company-reported revenue payments that is considered significant by the Independent Administrator. Margins of variance vary by revenue type, and were approved by the Multi-Stakeholder Group as part of the USEITI process.
mcf
1000 cubic feet, a unit of measure for natural gas.
Megawatt Capacity (MC) fee
A revenue payment for the calculated value of electricity generated on federal lands.
Megawatt hours
One megawatt is equivalent to one million watts. One megawatt hour (abbreviated as Mwh) is equivalent to 1,000 Kilowatt hours.
Metric ton
One metric ton is equal to 2240 pounds. To convert metric tons to tons, multiply by 1.1023. To convert tons to metric tons, multiply by 0.9072.
Millage tax
A millage tax is a property tax based on the assessed value of a property. Millage tax rates are quantified in terms of mills: One mill is worth 1/1000 of a dollar, or $0.001.
Mill levy
A mill levy is calculated by determining how much revenue each taxing jurisdiction will need for the upcoming year, then dividing that projection by the total value of the property within the area.
Mill rate
A mill rate is the amount of tax payable per dollar on the assessed value of a property. Each mill is worth one-tenth of a cent, or $0.001.
Mineral acres
Sometimes the land’s surface owner is different from the owner of the minerals in the ground below. For instance, a state might retain mineral rights when it sells or swaps land.
Mineral resource potential
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, mineral resource potential is the likelihood for the occurrence of undiscovered mineral resources in a defined area.
Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG)
A cross-sector body comprised of members and alternates from government, industry, and civil society organizations commissioned by the Secretary of the Interior to guide and monitor EITI implementation.
Natural gas liquids (NGL)
Natural gas liquids, such as ethane, propane, and butane, are byproducts of wet natural gas. These liquid hydrocarbons are separated from the gas stream close to the well or at a processing plant.
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
The standard used by federal agencies in classifying business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. economy.
ONRR
The Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and is responsible for collecting, disbursing, and verifying federal and Indian energy and other natural resource revenue.
Operating fee
A fee for a percentage of the anticipated value of wind energy produced on federal waters.
Outer Continental Shelf
The part of the continental shelf under federal jurisdiction, seaward of the line that marks state ownership, often three miles off a state’s coastline.
OSMRE
The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and is responsible for regulating surface coal mining in the United States, as well as funding the restoration of abandoned coal mines.
OST
The Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) is part of the Department of the Interior and is responsible for stewardship of assets held in trust on behalf of American Indians.
Paying quantities
Quantities of oil or gas that are sufficient to yield a profit to the lease holder over operating expenses, even though the drilling costs or equipping costs are never recovered, and even if the undertaking as a whole may result in a loss to the lease holder.
Petroleum products
Products come from processing crude oil (including lease condensate), natural gas, and other hydrocarbon compounds. These include unfinished oils, liquefied petroleum gases, pentanes plus, aviation gasoline, motor gasoline, naphtha-type jet fuel, kerosene-type jet fuel, kerosene, distillate fuel oil, residual fuel oil, petrochemical feedstocks, special naphthas, lubricants, waxes, petroleum coke, asphalt, road oil, still gas, and miscellaneous products.
Play
A group of oil and gas fields in the same region formed by the same geological processes.
Private lands
Lands owned by citizens or corporations.
Production
We use the term “production” as a catch-all term for mining, drilling, energy generation, and other forms of natural resource extraction. There is no distinction between “extraction” and “production” in ONRR or EIA datasets.
Proved reserves
Quantities of natural resources that, by analysis of geological and engineering data, can be estimated with reasonable certainty to be commercially recoverable from known reservoirs and under current economic conditions, operating methods, and government regulations.
Public domain lands
Public domain lands are lands that have belonged to the federal government since they were obtained from the 13 original colonies, from Native American tribes, or through purchases from other countries, and have not been dedicated to a specific use.
Reclamation
The process of restoring the surface environment to acceptable pre-existing conditions, including surface contouring, equipment removal, well plugging, and revegetation.
Rent
An annual payment for leasing lands or waters before production starts.
Renewable energy
Energy resources that are virtually inexhaustible in duration but limited in the amount of energy that is available per unit of time. These include biomass, hydropower, geothermal, solar, wind, ocean thermal, wave action, and tidal action energy.
Resource advisory council (RAC)
A group of 12 to 15 members with diverse interests in local communities, such as ranchers, environmental groups, tribes, state and local government officials, academics, and other public land users.
Royalty
A payment for extracted natural resources, determined by a percentage of the resources’ production value.
Standard Occupation Classification
A system used by federal statistical agencies to classify workers into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, or disseminating data.
State or local lands
Lands owned by state or local governments.
Split estate
A land parcel that has surface rights and subsurface rights (such as the rights to develop minerals) owned by different parties.
Subsurface rights
A lease holder’s right to use as much of the land beneath the surface as necessary to operate under the lease.
Subsurface mining
Underground mining, which has different and more labor intensive techniques than surface mining.
Surface rights
A leaseholder’s right to use as much of the surface of the land as necessary to operate under the lease.
Tax expenditures
Revenue lossess attributed to provisions of federal tax laws that allow a special exclusion, exemption, or deduction from gross income, or which provide a special credit, a preferential rate of tax, or a deferral of tax liability.
Tickets/pounds
Some minerals, such as quartz crystal, are sold in relatively small quantities in gift shops and tourist attractions. In some cases, tourists can buy admission tickets to dig for their own minerals. For those transactions, the Office of Natural Resources Revenue may collect royalties on the admission tickets, not on the weight of minerals collected. Furthermore, some minerals are sold by quality, not by weight. The unit “tickets/pounds” shows quantities measured in both tickets sold and weight sold, combined.
Ton
In the U.S., one ton is 2,000 pounds. In some countries this is referred to as a short ton.
Trust land
Land for which the federal government holds title to the land but the beneficial interest remains with a Native American individual or tribe.
Unorganized land
In Alaska, over half of land is not contained in any of its 19 organized boroughs. This land (collectively called the Unorganized Borough) is divided into 10 census areas for statistical purposes.
Variance floor
During the reconciliation process, only variances between reported numbers that exceed a minimum dollar amount are investigated by the Independent Administrator.
Wet gas
Natural gas that hasn’t been treated to remove liquid hydrocarbons or other nonhydrocarbons that make the gas unmarketable.
Withheld
We refer to data as “withheld” when publishing that data could violate federal laws and regulations. Most commonly, we withhold data if it can be used to personally identify individuals, or if the data is protected by the Trade Secrets Act. In the latter case, data is often withheld when there is only one company producing a specific commodity within a specific region. We withhold all location data for Native American production, revenue, and disbursements.
Companies pay a wide range of fees, rates, and taxes to extract natural resources in the U.S. The amounts differ depending on the ownership of the resources. We'll cover some of the major types of payments companies make here. They are usually called ‘revenue’ because they represent revenue to the American public.
Payments to extract natural resources from federal land and waters
When companies extract natural resources on federal onshore lands and the Outer Continental Shelf, they pay revenue to the Department of the Interior (DOI).
In general, companies pay bonuses, rents, royalties, or fees and penalties (if incurred) to ONRR, and in some cases bonuses and rents to the Bureau of Land Management. Royalties, a percentage of the sales value of extracted resources, make up most of the revenue paid to DOI.
Lease holders also pay different fees to the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, often to reimburse the federal government for costs associated with awarding, administering, and enforcing leases. For extracting locatable hardrock minerals on federal lands, companies pay fees, but not royalties under the Mining Law of 1872.
Revenue streams and rates
Oil and gas
Phase
Bonus
Rent
Royalty
Onshore
Bonus
$1.50 annual rent per acre for the first 5 years, $2 annual rent per acre thereafter
12.5% of production value in royalties
Offshore
Bonus
Water depth 0–200m: Years 1–5 rent is $7/acre, year 6 rent is $14/acre, year 7 rent is $21/acre, year 8+ rent is $28/acre Water depth 200–400m: Years 1–5 rent is $11/acre, year 6 rent is $22/acre, year 7 rent is $33/acre, year 8+ rent is $44/acre Water depth 400+: Years 1–5 rent is $11/acre, years 6+ rent is $16/acre
12.5% for leases located in water depths less than 200 meters 18.75% for leases located in water depths of 200 meters and deeper
Coal
Phase
Bonus
Rent
Royalty
Surface
Bonus
$3 annual rent per acre
12.5% of production value in royalties $0.28 per ton Abandoned Mine Land Fee
Sub-surface
Bonus
$3 annual rent per acre
8% of production value in royalties $0.12 per ton Abandoned Mine Land Fee
Hardrock minerals
Phase
Bonus
Rent
Fee
Royalty
Public domain lands
$1 per acre
$20 processing fee $40 location fee $165 initial maintenance fee $165 annual maintenance fee for the assessment year in which the claim/site was located
Acquired lands
$1,000 minimum bond for prospecting permits $5,000 minimum bond for leases
$0.50 per acre or fraction of an acre
Royalty rates are exempt from minimums and determined on an individual basis by the authorized leasing officers.
Solar and wind energy
Phase
Bonus
Rent
Fee
Royalty
Onshore (solar and wind)
$15 per acre application filing fee (outside designated leasing areas)
Rent determined by number of acres multiplied by zone rate
Bonus (competitive lease) $0.25 per acre for acquisition fee (uncompetitive lease)
$3 annual rent per acre
2% of anticipated value of wind energy produced in operating fee*
* Unless waived or otherwise specified
Geothermal
Phase
Bonus
Rent
Fee
Royalty
Competitive leasing
$115 nomination fee and $0.12 per acre $165 application fee
$2 per acre for the first year $3 annual rent per acre for years 2–10 $5 annual rent per acre after 10 years
Direct-use fees for energy needs other than the commercial production or generation of electricity
Electricity sales: 1.75% of gross proceeds for 10 years, then 3.5%
Arm’s length sales: 10% of gross proceeds from contract multiplied by lease royalty rate
Noncompetitive leasing
$415 application fee
$1 annual rent per acre for 10 years $5 annual rent per acre thereafter
Payments to extract natural resources from any land or water in the U.S.
Corporate income taxes
Corporations operating in the extractive industries pay taxes to the IRS on their income. These companies pay federal corporate income taxes regardless of whether they extract natural resources from federal, state, or privately held lands, so long as they have a liability. These companies also pay taxes on income from extracting natural resources and processing them into other products and commodities. There are different types of companies operating in these industries, with different ownership structures, and as a result, they are treated as different taxpayers:
C-corporations with many shareholders who own the company; these companies pays corporate income taxes to the IRS.
S-corporations with 100 shareholders or less who own the company; shareholders pay personal income taxes to the IRS.
Partnerships where two or more members own the business; members individually pay income taxes to the IRS.
Sole proprietorships with one individual owner; the individual owner pays personal income tax to the IRS.
Other taxes and fees
In the U.S., coal producers must pay a federal coal excise tax when they mine coal (a producer is any person or entity that owns the coal after it’s mined from the ground). Producers pay the tax when the coal is first sold or used. The tax does not apply to lignite or to coal mined in the U.S. for export.
While royalty rates can reach as high as 18.75%, and the federal corporate income tax rate can reach as high as 21% depending on company income, companies may pay less. Revenue policy provisions, including royalty relief and tax expenditures, can result in smaller revenue and tax payments to the federal government to promote other policy goals.
Royalty relief
To create incentives for companies to produce additional oil and gas on certain leases on the Outer Continental Shelf where extraction is anticipated to be unprofitable, the federal government may grant some lease holders royalty relief. Royalty relief means that these lease holders do not have to pay royalties on some amount of production, or they pay a smaller percentage of royalties, for the oil and gas they extract. There are four situations in which a lease holder may gain royalty relief:
Leases in deep waters with depths greater than 200 meters in the Gulf of Mexico. (This type of relief has not been offered for several years, though existing leases do include it currently.)
Leases in shallow waters with depths under 400 meters for deep gas production
Leases toward the end of their lives in which halving royalties would encourage additional production
Special cases in which continued production under existing terms is projected to be unprofitable
In some situations, if oil and gas prices rise above certain thresholds, lease holders that previously gained royalty relief must start paying royalties at the regular rate again.
Tax expenditures
Tax expenditures are defined in the law as “revenue losses attributable to provisions of the federal tax laws which allow a special exclusion, exemption, or deduction from gross income or which provide a special credit, a preferential rate of tax, or a deferral of tax liability.” These exceptions may be viewed as alternatives to other policy instruments, such as spending or regulatory programs.
The Treasury estimates the total dollar amount of each tax expenditure in a given year and publishes a report of these estimates.
After a payment, what happens to the revenue?
Federal budget process
Once revenue is collected by the federal government, it passes through a series of budgetary gateways before ultimately funding public services and community development. These gateways are described below, and you can explore disbursement data here.
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