(a) The owner of an oil and gas lease, or the owner of a valid claim based on a mineral location shall have such lease or claim converted to a combined hydrocarbon lease when the plan of operations, filed under Sec. 3140.2 of this title, is deemed acceptable and is approved by the authorized officer.
(b) The conversion of a lease within a unit of the National Park System shall be approved only with the consent of the Regional Director of the National Park Service in accordance with Sec. 3140.7 of this title.
(c) A plan of operations may not be approved in part but may be approved where it contains an appropriately staged plan of exploration and development operations. [47 FR 22478, May 24, 1982, as amended at 55 FR 12351, Apr. 3, 1990]