Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 74.djvu/825

 74 S T A T. ]

PUBLIC LAW 86-705-SEPT. 2, 1960

to any cooperative or unit plan of development or operation, or other plan that contains a general provision for allocation of oil or gas, shall be payable only with respect to the lands subject to such lease to which oil or gas shall be allocated under such plan. Any lease which shall be eliminated from any such approved or prescribed plan, or from any communitization or drilling agreement authorized by this section, and any lease which shall be in effect at the termination of any such approved or prescribed plan, or at the termination of any such communitization or drilling agreement, unless relinquished, shall continue in effect for the original term thereof, but for not less than two years, and so long thereafter as oil or gas is produced in paying quantities. "The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized, on such conditions as lie may prescribe, to approve operating, drilling, or development contracts made by one or more lessees of oil or gas leases, with one or more persons, associations, or corporations whenever, in his discretion, the conservation of natural products or the public convenience or necessity may require it or the interests of the United States may be best subserved thereby. All leases operated under such approved operating, drilling, or development contracts, and interests thereunder, shall be excepted in determining holdings or control under the provisions of this Act. 'The Secretary of the Interior, to avoid waste or to promote conS'^rvation of natural resources, may authorize the subsurface storage of oil or gas, whether or not produced from federally owned lands, in lands leased or subject to lease under this Act. Such authorization may provide for the payment of a storage fee or rental on such stored oil or ^as or, in lieu of such fee or rental, for a royalty other than that prescribed in the lease when such stored oil or gas is produced in con]unction with oil or gas not previously produced. Any lease on which storage is so authorized shall be extended at least for the period of storage and so long thereafter as oil or gas not previously produced is produced in paying quantities." SEC. 3. Section 27 of said Act, as amended (30 U.S.C. 184), is further amended to read as follows: "SEC. 27. (a)(1) No person, association, or corporation, except as otherwise provided in this subsection, shall take, hold, own or control at one time, whether acquired directly froiri the Secretary under this Act or otherwise, coal leases or permits on an aggregate of more than ten thousand two hundred and forty acres in any one State. "(2) A person, association, or corporation may apply for coal leases or permits for acreage in addition to that which is permissible under paragraph (1) of this subsection, but the additional acreage shall not exceed five thousand one hundred and twenty acres in any one State. Each application shall be for forty acres or a multiple thereof and shall contain a statement that the granting of a lease or permit for the additional lands is necessary to enable the applicant to carry on business economically and that it is believed to be in theTpublic interest. On the filing of such an application, the coal deposits in the lands covered by it shall be temporarily set aside and withdrawn from all forms of disposal under this Act. The Secretary shall, after posting notice of the pending application in the local land office, conduct public hearings on it. After such hearings the Secretary may, under such regulations as he may prescribe and to such extent as he finds to be in the public interest and necessary to enable the applicant to carry on business economically, permit the applicant to take and hold coal leases or permits for additional acreage as hereinbefore provided. The Secretary may, in his own discretion or whenever sufficient public interest is manifested, reevaluate a lessee's or permittee's need for all or any 48232 O-61-50

785

Approval of operating, drilling, o r development contracts.

Sub stir face storage.

60 Stat. 954. Coal leases or permits. Acreage limitations.

Additional acreage. Regulations.

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