FOR RELEASE:  August 29, 1995               CONTACT:  Tom DeRocco
                                                   (202) 208-3983
                                               Michael L. Baugher
                                                   (303) 231-3162


            INTERIOR'S NEW ROYALTY POLICY COMMITTEE
       SETS FIRST MEETING FOR SEPTEMBER 12-13 IN DENVER

     The U.S. Department of the Interior's Royalty Policy
Committee, an arm of the Minerals Management Advisory Board, will
hold its first meeting September 12-13 in Denver, Colorado; the
meeting at the Stouffer Concourse Hotel, 3801 Quebec Street, is
open to the public. 

    "We're pleased with the formulation of this group and
enthusiastic about the important role it will play.  By bringing
affected stakeholders together to focus on improving and
streamlining the royalty collection process, we feel we're
creating a climate conducive to achieving consensus on how to
tackle some of these complex problems," said MMS Director Cynthia
Quarterman.

     MMS will ask the Committee to focus on streamlining and
simplifying processes associated with reporting of federal and
Indian minerals revenues, and other royalty audit issues.   

     The MMS collects and distributes nearly $4 billion in
revenues each year.  Made up of bonuses, rentals and royalties,
these revenues are derived from more than 100,000 federal and
Indian mineral leases.

     A portion of the revenues collected from onshore leases is
shared with the states in which the leases are located.  All
revenues collected from Indian leases are turned over to the
appropriate Indian organization or individual allottee through
the Bureau of Indian Affairs, another Interior agency.

     For additional information, contact Clare Onstad, Royalty
Management Program, Minerals Management Service, Box 25165,
Denver, Colorado 80225 (303) 231-3827.

                             -MMS-