The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-01-13
OIL LEASES
SHOULD HAVE
{. MORE. TIME

IN his annual report to the govern
or Il l.. Lunsford, general agent to
,he commissioners OF the land office,
in charge of oil and gas lands. rec
ommends that the school land eas-
ing laws be amended so as TO allow
The state the same attitude In max
ing Oi! and gas leases that is enjoyed
by individuals Under a section OF
The enabling aci the state Is restrict.
ed to making leases OF FIVE years
duration a time too short, il is said,
10 pay Il promoter in making develop
ments. The usual individual lease
reads for term OF fifteen years aud
thereafter as long as oil and gas shall
he found on the premises
Mr. Lunsford shows that the ordn-
airy apportionment is one well to cy-
cry ten acres, or Ga to a section oil
land II is figured to cost $1,000 toI
complete well 10 deep sana forma
tion, and that no more than two
wells can be completed per month. ToI
develop q section of land one-hah OF
Tho stated time allowance is con5um-
ed or two and half years, aud the|
promoter Is allowed but a like time
for working the property. The ont,
preference such lessee has to release
is at tae figure offered at the time re-
lease Is made, Notwithstanding, Mr.
l.unsiord shows, the lessee has prov
on the oil and gas capacity OF theI
land
The report suggests that suit be
to go to the supreme court
OF the state for the purpose OF having
section s OF the Oklahoma enabling
act placing the year limitation, con-
s'lued, to the end if found not bind
ing, the legislature can relieve the
situation by a law, and place theI
state on a basis of an individual. III
the supreme court eonstrues the en-
abling act to be binding, Mr. Luns
ford suggests that congress be me-
to repeal it, in this re-
spect.
A second law proposed is to per
nit persons interested in pipe lines
to become lessees OF state lands for
oil and gas purposes. Under an act
OF the First legislature. this is pro-
hibited AS an illustration of the in.
hibition Mr. Lunsford calls attention
10 the nineteen sections the state has
in Kiowa county, There Is not suf-
licent oil and gas to be found under
land which the state does not control
to justify the laying Of a pipe line
and unless persons can develop field
under more favorable conditions than
afforded at present satisfactory sup
ply will not be produced. No pipe line
will lay 10 the land, hel
says, unless il can be assured busi-
ness enough to justify the venture,
He calls the governors attention tol
on epromoter who would be willingl
TO develop the sections in Kjowa
county under more liberal restrc-
tions, and If he found gas in suiiic
lent quantities, he would pipe 1t fori
fuel TO Hobart. Chickasha, Anadarkol
and lawton. and If he found oil inl
sufficient quantities he would put al
at Hobart, about fourteen
miles from the Kiowa county field
Under the law, however, tais pro-
moter could not lay pipe line, and
at the same time be lessee OF state
land for developing purposes.
The state has forty-soven sections
segregated for oil and gas purposes,
ten being in pawnee county, nine inl
Kay, 3 in Comanche. and 10 in Kiowa
or = total OF 29,6l0 acres The state
gets oyalty OF IL l-2 per cent.
There have been marketed from statel
land during 1900, 20S,9Gl barrels OF
oil, and during the year the depart
ment has paid to the school fnnl yot,
l,l.9S. The states land in pawneel
county is in the Cleveland field,
watch Mr. Lunsford says, viii prob
ably rival the famous len Pool, Oil
is obtained there in sand 1900 feet
down. being generally OF high grade.
Bilious? Feel heavy after dinner?