(a) After a plan of operations is found acceptable, and is approved, the authorized officer will prepare and submit to the owner, for execution, a combined hydrocarbon lease containing all appropriate terms and conditions, including any necessary stipulations that were part of the oil and gas lease being converted, as well as any additional stipulations, such as those required to ensure compliance with the plan of operations.
(b) The authorized officer will not sign the combined hydrocarbon lease until it has been executed by the conversion applicant and the lease or claim to be converted has been formally relinquished to the United States.
(c) The effective date of the combined hydrocarbon lease will be the first day of the month following the date that the authorized officer signs the lease.
(d) The authorized officer will issue one combined hydrocarbon lease to cover the existing contiguous oil and gas leases or valid claims based on mineral locations which have been approved for conversion within the special tar sand area.