PUBLIC LAW 102-486—OCT. 24, 1992 106 STAT. 3107 one or more existing mineral lease shall transfer to the Secretary of the Interior the authority to administer such lease and to collect all receipts due and payable to the United States under the lease. In the case of lands acquired on or before the date of the enactment of this section, the authority to administer the leases and collect receipts shall be transferred to the Secretary of the Interior as expeditiously as practicable after the date of enactment of this section. In the case of lands acquired after the date of enactment of this section, such authority shall be vested with the Secretary at the time of acquisition. The provisions of section 6 of this Act shall apply to all receipts derived from such leases where such receipts are due and payable to the United States under the lease in the same manner as such provisions apply to receipts derived from leases issued under the authority of^ this Act. For purposes of this section, the term 'existing mineral lease' means any lease in existence at the time land is acquired by the United States. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the existing surface management authority of any Federal agency.". (c) CLARIFICATION. —Section 7 of the Act of August 18, 1941, ch. 377 (33 U.S.C. 701c-3) is amended by adding the following sentence at the end thereof: For the purposes of this section, the term 'money* includes, but is not limited to, such bonuses, royalties and rentals (and any interest or other charge paid to the United States by reason of the late payment of any royalty, rent, bonus or other amount due to the United States) paid to the United States from a mineral lease issued under the authority of the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands or paid to the United States from a mineral lease in existence at the time of the acquisition of the land by the United States. ". SEC. 2507. RESERVED OIL AND GAS. (a) IN GENERAL. — Section 17(b) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 226(b)) is amended as follows— (1) In paragraph (I)(A), strike out "under paragraph (2)" and insert in lieu thereof "under paragraphs (2) and (3)". (2) Adding at the end thereof the following new paragraph: "(3)(A) If the United States held a vested future interest in a mineral estate that, immediately prior to becoming a vested present interest, was subject to a lease under which oil or gas was being produced, or had a well capable of producing, in paying Quantities at an annual average production volume per well per ay of either not more than 15 barrels per day of oil or condensate, or not more than 60,000 cubic feet of gas, the holder of the lease may elect to continue the lease as a noncompetitive lease under subsection (c)(D. "(B) An election under this paragraph is effective— "(i) in the case of an interest which vested after January 1, 1990, and on or before the date of enactment of this paragraph, if the election is made before the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this paragraph; "(ii) in the case of an interest which vests within 1 year after the date of enactment of this paragraph, if the election is made before the date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of this paragraph; and "(iii) in any case other than those described in clause (i) or (ii), if the election is made prior to the interest becoming a vested present interest.
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