Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 61 Part 1.djvu/341

 61 STAT.] 80TH CONG. , 1ST SESS.-CH. 244-JULY 12, 1947 compact by H. J. Res. 228, approved August 21, 1941 (Public Law, 246, Seventy-seventh Congress), and which compact was thereafter extended and renewed for a period of four years from September 1, 1943, by an agreement executed and ratified by representatives of the States of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Kentucky, and was deposited in the Department of State of the United States and thereafter such extended and renewed compact was, by the President of the United States, presented to Congress and the Congress gave consent to such extended and renewed compact by H. J. Res. 139, approved July 7, 1943 (Public Law 117, Seventy-eighth Congress), and thereafter the representatives of the States of Montana, West Virginia, Alabama, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Tennessee, and Indiana, executed counterparts of said agreement, and said counterparts so executed were deposited in the Department of State of the United States. The extended and renewed compact dated the 1st day of February 1947, duly executed by the representatives of the States of Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Vir- ginia, Tennessee, and Indiana, and which extended and renewed com- pact has been deposited in the Department of State of the United States, reads as follows: "AN AGREEMENT TO EXTEND THE INTERSTATE COMPACT TO CONSERVE OIL AND GAS "WHEREAS on the 16th day of February 1935, in the City of Dallas, Texas, there was executed 'AN INTERSTATE COMPACT TO CONSERVE OIL AND GAS' which was thereafter formally ratified and approved by the States of Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Illinois, Colorado, and Kansas, the original of which is now on deposit with the Department of State of the United States, a true copy of which follows: "'AN INTERSTATE COMPACT TO CONSERVE OIL AND GAS " ARTICLE I "'This agreement may become effective within any compacting state at any time as prescribed by that state, and shall become effective within those states ratifying it whenever any three of the states of Texas, Oklahoma, California, Kansas, and New Mexico have ratified and Congress has given its consent. Any oil-producing state may become a party hereto as hereinafter provided. " 'ARTICLE II "'The purpose of this compact is to conserve oil and gas by the prevention of physical waste thereof from any cause. " 'ARTICLE III "'Each state bound hereby agrees that within a reasonable time it will enact laws, or if laws have been enacted, then it agrees to continue the same in force, to accomplish within reasonable limits the pre- vention of: "'(a) The operation of any oil well with an inefficient gas-oil ratio. "'(b) The drowning with water of any stratum capable of produc- ing oil or gas, or both oil and gas, in paying quantities. '(c) The avoidable escape into the open air or the wasteful burn- ing of gas from a natural gas well. "'(d) The creation of unnecessary fire hazards. 317 56 Stat. 666. 57 Stat. 383 . Text of compact.

�