PLSS Irregular Section Question

Today we will be looking at irregular sections and their resulting PLSS Second Division (Aliquot Parts and Government Lots)

To account for the earth's curvature some sections are elongated or shortened and end up containing more or less than 640 acres.

Example: Sections 8, 9, 17 and 16 are regular sections which are easily "quarter quartered" into sixteen 40 acre divisions. Whereas section 6 is shortened to the West and shortened to the North. (The actual section I'm working on is elongated West and shortened to the North, that is irrelevant though.)



I assume, but I am unable to find documented rules as to when a lot is created as opposed to a quarter quarter. In the old days, we did them a section at a time. We are writing a VBA program to automatically subdivide thousands of sections in one swoop and now I need rock solid rules as opposed to "That's how we've always done it".

Question: Is it correct that, beginning in the SE corner of section 36 you travel 1320' along the northerly bearing of the section line, then turn west for a distance of 1320' paralleling the south bearing line, then back south 1320' 180 degrees of the northerly bearing line used on the first leg, and finally 1320' more back to point of beginning along the south section line? Thus creating the SE SE 40 acre quarter quarter. Continue this process to the North and to the west. Once you can no longer travel 1320' without crossing a section line, a lot is made of the remaining area? Hence, only sections 1-6, 7, 18, 19, 30 & 31 can be irregular.

This seems like common sense, but I can not find a set of "rules" or a law for that matter, that state specifically how irregular sections are to be divided. The important part of the question above is bolded font.

*Image citation and type of website I am looking for to say what the "rules" are for accomplishing these divisions in a section where that data is not accessible. National Parcels

Something like this... but it appears there is no hard answer to the original question.