Reg. § 1.613A-2 Exemption for certain domestic gas wells.
(a) The allowance for depletion under section shall be computed in accordance with section with respect to:
(1) Regulated natural gas (as defined in ),
(2) Natural gas sold under a fixed contract (as defined in ), and
(3) Any geothermal deposit in the United States or in a possession of the United States that is determined to be a gas well within the meaning of former section (as in effect before enactment of the Tax Reduction Act of 1975) for taxable years ending after December 31, 1974, and before October 1, 1978 (see section for depletion on geothermal deposits thereafter),
(b) For taxable years ending after September 30, 1978, the allowance for depletion under section shall be computed in accordance with section with respect to any qualified natural gas from geopressured brine (as defined in ), and 10 percent shall be deemed to be specified in section for purposes of section .
(c) For special rules applicable to partnerships, S corporations, trusts, and estates, see paragraphs (e), (f), and (g) of .
(d) The provisions of this section may be illustrated by the following examples:
Example 1. A is a producer of natural gas which is sold by A under a contract in effect on February 1, 1975. The contract provides for an increase in the price of the gas sold under the contract to the highest price paid to a producer for natural gas in the area. The gas sold by A qualifies under section for percentage depletion as gas sold under a fixed contract until its price increases, but is presumed not to qualify thereafter unless A demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that the price increase in no event takes increases in tax liabilities into account.
Example 2. B is a producer of natural gas which is sold by B under a contract in effect on February 1, 1975. The contract provides that beginning January 1, 1980, the price of the gas may be renegotiated. Such a provision does not disqualify gas from qualifying for the exemption under section with respect to the gas sold prior to January 1, 1980. However, gas sold on or after January 1, 1980, does not qualify for the exemption whether or not the price of the gas is renegotiated.
[T.D. 8348, 56 FR 21939, May 13, 1991, as amended by T.D. 8437, 57 FR 43899, Sept. 23, 1992; 58 FR 6678, Feb. 1, 1993]