---
title: "Check papers for an Application for Permit to Drill without filing it"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/energy-resources-and-mining/prepare-and-lodge-an-application-for-a-mining-tenement/united-states"
type: "task_jurisdiction_version"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A13-S20261018-4-US"
practice_area: "Energy, Resources & Mining"
tier: "red"
lawyer_review: "required"
jurisdictions: ["US"]
last_reviewed: "2026-10-22"
---

# Check papers for an Application for Permit to Drill without filing it

> Against the papers the lawyer supplies, note whether a Form 3160-3, a drilling plan, a surface use plan of operations, and evidence of bond coverage are present, and whether an oil-well file includes a waste…

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/energy-resources-and-mining/prepare-and-lodge-an-application-for-a-mining-tenement/united-states  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-22

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Energy, Resources & Mining](https://ailawframework.com/practice/energy-resources-and-mining.md) |
| Human involvement | Red: Lawyer writes; AI may check, clarify or collect data |
| How AI is used | Against the papers the lawyer supplies, note whether a Form 3160-3, a drilling plan, a surface use plan of operations, and evidence of bond coverage are present, and whether an oil-well file includes a waste minimization plan or a self-certification. Do not complete the form, do not file it, and do not write the self-certification. |
| What the lawyer must review | 43 C.F.R. 3162.3-1(c) provides that the operator shall submit an Application for Permit to Drill for each well, and that no drilling operations, nor surface disturbance preliminary to them, may be commenced before the authorized officer approves the permit. Paragraph (d) provides that the process must be initiated at least 30 days before commencement of operations is desired, and that a complete application consists of Form 3160-3 and the attachments listed in that paragraph, including a drilling plan, a surface use plan of operations, evidence of bond coverage, and, for an oil well, a waste minimization plan or a self-certification, which does not apply to gas wells. Paragraph (i) provides that approval does not warrant or certify that the applicant holds legal or equitable title. Paragraph (k) describes a self-certification as the operator's written statement about capture of oil-well gas. The tool does not make that statement. The lawyer decides what is submitted. |
| Written for | United States |
| Applies to | [Prepare and lodge an application for a mining tenement](https://ailawframework.com/practice/energy-resources-and-mining/prepare-and-lodge-an-application-for-a-mining-tenement.md) |

## Checking plan

- What the AI does: Against the papers the lawyer supplies, note whether a Form 3160-3, a drilling plan, a surface use plan of operations, and evidence of bond coverage are present, and whether an oil-well file includes a waste minimization plan or a self-certification. Do not complete the form, do not file it, and do not write the self-certification.
- Basis: Checked against the linked sources on 22 October 2026. Confirm the current instrument before reliance.

## Notes

- The checklist is not Form 3160-3 and it is not an approval.
- Paragraph (b) sends wells on restricted Indian land to the lease and to Title 25. Title 25 was not opened.

## Sources

- [43 C.F.R. 3162.3-1, Drilling applications and plans](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/section-3162.3-1) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [30 U.S.C. 226, Leasing of oil and gas parcels](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/30/226) (checked 2026-10-22)

## Forms and precedents for this task

| Form or precedent | Kind | AI level | Summary |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Exploration licence or mining lease application: pre-lodgement checklist (NSW)](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/energy-resources-and-mining/tenement-application-pre-lodgement-checklist-nsw.md) | Checklist | Yellow | Pre-lodgement checklist for an application for an exploration licence or mining lease under the Mining Act 1992 (NSW): eligibility, mineral allocation and controlled release areas, fee and… |

Signed-in accounts can read the full text of each one.

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*