Section 556.904 - Decommissioning accounts(a) The Regional Director may authorize you to establish a decommissioning account(s) in a federally insured financial institution to satisfy a supplemental financial assurance demand made pursuant to § 556.901(d) , § 550.166(b) of this subchapter, or § 550.1011(d) of this subchapter. The decommissioning account must be set up in such a manner that funds may not be withdrawn without the written approval of the Regional Director.(1) Funds in the account must be used only to meet your decommissioning obligations and must be payable upon demand to BOEM.(2) You must fully fund the account to cover all decommissioning costs as estimated by BSEE, to the amount, and pursuant to the schedule, that the Regional Director prescribes.(3) If you fail to make the initial payment or any scheduled payment into the decommissioning account and you fail to correct a missed payment within 30 days, you must immediately submit, and subsequently maintain, a surety bond or other financial assurance in an amount equal to the remaining unfulfilled portion of the supplemental financial assurance demand.(b) Any interest paid on funds in a decommissioning account will become part of the principal funds in the account unless the Regional Director authorizes in writing the payment of the interest to the party who deposits the funds.(c) The Regional Director may authorize or require you to create an overriding royalty, production payment obligation, or other revenue stream for the benefit of an account established as financial assurance for the decommissioning of your lease(s) or RUE or pipeline ROW grant(s). The obligation may be associated with oil and gas or sulfur production from a lease other than a lease or grant secured through the decommissioning account.(d) BOEM may provide funds from the decommissioning account to the party that performs the decommissioning in response to a BOEM or BSEE order to perform such decommissioning or to cover the costs thereof. BOEM will distribute the funds from the decommissioning account upon presentation of paid invoices for reasonable and necessary costs incurred by the party performing the decommissioning. 81 FR 18152 , 3/30/2016; 89 FR 31595 , 47081, 6/29/2024