An Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to make disposition of geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources, and for other purposes
PL 91-581 (S.368), enacted 12/24/1970

1566 
PUBLIC LAW 91-581-DEC. 24, 1970 
[84 STAT. 
Public Law 91-581 
December 24, 1970 
[S.368] 
AN ACT 
To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to make disposition of geothermal 
steam and associated geothermal resources, and for other purposes. 
Geothermal 
Steam Act of 1970. 
Definitions. 
L e a s e s . 
Bids. 
Conversion. 
41 Stat. 437. 
61 Stat. 9l3« 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress a^semhled^ That this Act may 
be cited as the "Geothermal Steam Act of 1970". 
SEC. 2. As used in this Act, the term— 
(a) "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Interior; 
(b) "geothermal lease" means a lease issued under authority of 
this Act; 
(c) "geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources" 
means (i) all products of geothermal processes, embracing 
indigenous steam, hot water and hot brines; (ii) steam and other 
gases, hot water and hot brines resulting from water, gas, or other 
fluids artificially introduced into geothermal formations; (iii) 
heat or other associated e n e r ^ found in geothermal formations; 
and (iv) any byproduct derived from them; 
(d) "byproduct" means an^ mineral or minerals (exclusive of 
oil, hydrocarbon gas, and helium) which are found in solution or 
in association with geothermal steam and which have a value of 
less than 75 per centum of the value of the geothermal steam or 
are not, because of quantity, quality, or technical difficulties in 
extraction and production, of sufficient value to warrant extraction 
and production by themselves; 
(e) "known geothermal resources area" means an area in which 
the geology, nearby discoveries, competitive interests, or other 
indicia would, in the opinion of the Secretary, engender a belief in 
men who are experienced in the subject matter that the prospects 
for extraction of geothermal steam or associated geothermal 
resources are good enough to warrant expenditures of money for 
that purpose. 
SEC. 3. Subject to the {provisions of section 15 of this Act, the Secre-
tary of the Interior may issue leases for the development and utiliza-
tion of geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources (1) in 
lands administered by him, including public, withdrawn, and acquired 
lands, (2) in any national forest or other lands administered by the 
Department of Agi-iculture through the Forest Service, including pub-
lic, withdrawn, and acquired lands, and (3) in lands which have been 
conveyed by the United States subject to a reservation to the United 
States of the geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources 
therein. 
SEC. 4. If lands to be leased under this Act are within any known 
g'eothermal resources area, they shall be leased to the highest respon-
sible qualified bidder by competitive bidding under regulations formu-
lated oy the Secretary. If the lands to be leased are not within any 
known geothermal resources area, the qualified person first making 
application for the lease shall be entitled to a lease of such lands with-
out competitive bidding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at any time 
within one hundred and eighty days following the effective date of this 
Act: 
(a) with respect to all lands which were on September 7,1965, 
subject to valid leases or permits issued under the Mineral Leasing 
Act of February 25, 1920, as amended (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.), or 
under the Mineral Leasing Act of Acc[uired Lands, as amended 
(30 U.S.C. 351, 358), or to existing mining claims located on or 
prior to September 7j 1965, the lessees or permittees or claimants 
or their successors in interest who are qualified to hold geothermal 
84 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 91-581-DEC. 24, 1970 
1567 
leases shall have the right to convert such leases or permits or 
claims to geothermal leases covering the same lands; 
(b) where there are conflicting claims, leases, or permits there-
for embracing the same land, the person who first was issued a 
lease or permit, or who first recorded the mining claim shall be 
entitled to first consideration; 
(c) with respect to all lands which were on September 7, 1965, 
the subject of applications for leases or permits under the above 
Acts, the applicants may convert their applications to applications 
for geothermal leases having priorities dating from the time of 
filing of such applications under such Acts; 
(d) no person shall be permitted to convert mineral leases, 
permits, applications therefor, or mining claims for more than 
10,240 acres; and 
(e) the conversion of leases, permits, and mining claims and 
applications for leases and permits shall be accomplished in 
accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary. No right 
to conversion to a geothermal lease shall accrue to any person 
under this section unless such person shows to the reasonable satis-
faction of the Secretary that substantial expenditures for the 
exploration, development, or production of geothermal steam have 
been made by the applicant who is seeking conversion, on the lands 
for which a lease is sought or on adjoining, adjacent, or nearby 
Federal or non-Federal lands. 
(f) 
with respect to lands within any known geothermal 
resources area and which are subject to a right to conversion to 
a geothermal lease, such lands shall be leased by competitive 
bidding: Provided^ That, the competitive geothermal lease shall 
be issued to the person owning the right to conversion to a 
geothermal lease if he makes payment of an amount equal to the 
highest bona fide bid for the competitive geothermal lease, plus 
the rental for the first year, within thirty days after he receives 
written notice from the Secretary of the amount of the highest 
bid. 
SEC. 5. Geothermal leases shall provide for— 
(a) a royalty of not less than 10 per centum or more than 15 
per centum of the amount or value of steam, or any other form of 
heat or energy derived from production under the lease and sold 
or utilized by the lessee or reasonably, susceptible to sale or 
utilization by the lessee; 
(b) a royalty of not more than 5 per centum of the value of any 
byproduct derived from production under the lease and sold 
or utilized or reasonably susceptible of sale or utilization by the 
lessee, except that as to any byproduct which is a mineral named 
in section 1 of the Mineral Leasing Act of February 25, 1920, as 
amended (30 U.S.C. 181), the rate of royalty for such mineral 
shall be the same as that provided in that Act and the maximum 
rate of royalty for such mineral shall not exceed the maximum 
royalty applicable under that Act; 
(c) payment in advance of an annual rental of not less than $1 
per acre or fraction thereof for each year of the lease. If there is no 
well on the leased lands capable of producing geothermal resources 
in commercial quantities, the failure to pay rental on or before the 
anniversary date shall terminate the lease by operation of law: 
Provided^ however^ That whenever the Secretary discovers that 
the rental payment due under a lease is paid timely but the amount 
of the payment is deficient because of an error or other reason and 
the deficiency is nominal, as determined by the Secretary pursuant 
to regulations prescribed by him, he shall notify the lessee of the 
deficiency and such lease shall not automatically terminate imless 
Acreage limita-
tion. 
Lease pro-
visions. 
Royalties. 
41 Stat. 437. 
Rent. 
1568 
PUBLIC LAW 91-581-DEC. 24, 1970 
[84 STAT. 
the lessee fails to pay the deficiency within the period prescribed 
in the notice: Provided further^ That, where any lease has been 
terminated automatically by operation of law under this section 
for failure to pay rental timely and it is shown to the satisfaction 
of the Secretary of the Interior that the failure to pay timely the 
lease rental was justifiable or not due to a lack of reasonable dili-
gence, he in his judgment may reinstate the lease if— 
(1) a petition for reinstatement, together with the required 
rental, is tiled with the Secretary of the Interior; and 
(2) no valid lease has been issued affecting any of the 
lands in the terminated lease prior to the filing of the petition 
for reinstatement; and 
(d) a minimum royalty of $2 per acre or fraction thereof in lieu 
of rental payable at the expiration of each lease year for each pro-
ducing lease, commencing with the lease year beginning on or after 
the commencement of production in commercial quantities. For 
the purpose of determining royalties hereunder the value of any 
geothermal steam and byproduct used by the lessee and not sold 
and reasonably susceptible of sale shall be determined by the 
Secretary, who shall take into consideration the cost of exploration 
and production and the economic value of the resource in terms of 
its ultimate utilization. 
Term. 
g^c. 6. (a) Geotliermal leases shall be for a primary term of ten 
years. If geothermal steam is produced or utilized in commercial 
quantities within this term, such lease shall continue for so long there-
after as geothermal steam is produced or utilized in commercial quan-
Limitation. 
tities, but sucli coutinuatiou shall not exceed an additional forty years. 
Renewal, 
^j^^ j£^ ^^ ^j^^ ^^^ ^^ ^uoh forty years, steam is produced or utilized 
in commercial quantities and the lands are not needed for other pur-
poses, the lessee shall have a preferential right to a renewal of such 
lease for a second forty-year term in accordance with such terms and 
conditions as the Secretary deems appropriate. 
Extension. 
(^^s^ ^j^y jg^se for land on which, or for which under an approved 
cooperative or unit plan of development or operation, actual drilling 
operations were commenced prior to the end of its primary term and 
are being diligently prosecuted at that time shall be extended for five 
years and so long thereafter, but not more than thirty-five years, as 
geothermal steam is produced or utilized in commercial quantities. If, 
at the end of such extended term, steam is being produced or utilized 
in commercial quantities and the lands are not needed for other pur-
poses, the lessee shall have a preferential right to a renewal of such 
lease for a second term in accordance with such terms and conditions as 
the Secretary deems appropriate. 
(d) For purposes of subsection (a) of this section, production or 
utilization of geothermal steam in commercial quantities shall be 
deemed to include the completion of one or more wells producing or 
capable of producing geothermal steam in commercial quantities and 
a bona fide sale of such geothermal steam for delivery to or utilization 
by a facility or facilities not yet installed but scheduled for installation 
not later than fifteen years from the date of commencement of the 
primary term of the lease. 
(e) Leases which have extended by reasons of production, or which 
have produced geothermal steam, and have been determined by the 
Secretary to be incapable of further commercial production and utili-
zation of geothermal steam may be further extended for a period of 
not more than five years from the date of such determination but only 
for so long as one or more valuable byproducts are produced in com-
mercial quantities. If such byproducts are leasable under the Mineral 
41 Stat. 437. 
Lcasiug Act of February 25,1920, as amended (30 U.S.C. 181, et seq.), 
or under the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands (30 U.S.C. 
84 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 91-581-DEC. 24, 1970 
1569 
351-358), and the leasehold is primarily valuable for the production 
thereof, the lessee shall be entitled to convert his geothermal lease to a 
mineral lease under, and subject to all the terms and conditions of, such 
appropriate Act upon application at any time before expiration of 
the lease extension by reason of byproduct production. The lessee shall 
be entitled to locate under the mining laws all minerals which are not 
leasable and which would constitute a byproduct if commercial pro-
duction or utilization of geothermal steam continued. The lessee in 
order to acquire the rights herein granted him shall complete the loca-
tion of mineral claims within ninety days after the termination of the 
lease for geothermal steam. Any such converted lease or the surface of 
any mining claim located for geothermal byproducts mineral affecting 
lands withdrawn or acquired m aid of a function of a Federal depart-
ment or agency, including the Department of the Interior, shall be 
subject to such additional terms and conditions as may be prescribed 
by such department or agency with respect to the additional operations 
or effects resulting from such conversion upon adequate utilization of 
the lands for the purpose for which they are administered. 
(f) Minerals locatable under the mining laws of the United States 
in lands subject to a geothermal lease issued under the provisions of 
this Act which are not associated with the geothermal steam and asso-
ciated geothermal resources of such lands as defined in section 2(c) 
herein shall be locatable under said mining laws in accordance with 
the principles of the Multiple Mineral Development Act (68 Stat. 708; 
found in 30 U.S.C. 521 et seq.). 
SEC. 7. A geothermal lease shall embrace a reasonably compact area 
of not more than two thousand five hundred and sixty acres, except 
where a departure therefrom is occasioned by an irregular subdivision 
or subdivisions. No person, association, or corporation, except as other-
wise provided in this Act, shall take, hold, own, or control at one time, 
whether acquired directly from the Secretary under this Act or other-
wise, any direct or indirect interest in Federal geothermal leases in 
any one State exceeding twenty thousand four hundred and eighty 
acres, including leases acquired under the provisions of section 4 of 
this Act. 
At any time after fifteen years from the effective date of this Act 
the Secretary, after public hearings, may increase this maximum hold-
ing in any one State by regulation, not to exceed fifty-one thousand 
two hundred acres. 
SEC. 8. (a) The Secretary may readjust the terms and conditions, 
except as otherwise provided herein, of any geothermal lease issued 
under this Act at not less than ten-year intervals beginning ten years 
after the date the geothermal steam is produced, as determined by the 
Secretary. Each geothermal lease issued under this Act shall provide 
for such readjustment. The Secretary shall give notice of any proposed 
readjustment of terms and conditions, and, unless the lessee files with 
the Secretary objection to the proposed terms or relinquishes the lease 
within thirty days after receipt of such notice, the lessee shall con-
clusively be deemed to have agreed with such terms and conditions. 
If the lessee files objections, and no agreement can be reached between 
the Secretary and the lessee within a period of not less than sixty days, 
the lease may be terminated by either party. 
(b) The Secretary may readjust the rentals and royalties of any 
geothermal lease issued under this Act at not less than twenty-year 
intervals beginning thirty-five years after the date geothermal steam is 
produced, as determined by the Secretary. In the event of any such 
readjustment neither the rental nor royalty may be increased by more 
than 50 per centum over the rental or royalty paid during the pre-
ceding period, and in no event shall the royalty payable exceed 221/^ 
per centum. Each geothermal lease issue under this Act shall provide 
61 Stat. 913. 
Leases, acre-
age. 
Limitation. 
Increase. 
Readjustment. 
Notice, 
1570 
PUBLIC LAW 91-581-DEC. 24, 1970 
[84 STAT. 
Notice. 
Byproducts. 
Relinquishment, 
Suspension. 
Leases,termina-
tion. 
Notice, 
for such readjustment. The Secretary shall give notice of any proposed 
readjustment of rentals and royalties, and, unless the lessee files with 
the Secretary objection to the proposed rentals and royalties or relin-
quishes the lease within thirty days after receipt of such notice, the 
lessee shall conclusively be deemed to have agreed with such terms 
and conditions. If the lessee files objections, and no agreement can be 
reached between the Secretary and the lessee within a period of not 
less than sixty days, the lease may be terminated by either party. 
(c) Any readjustment of the terms and conditions as to use, protec-
tion, or restoration of the surface of any lease of lands withdrawn 
or acquired in aid of a function of a Federal department or agency 
other than the Department of the Interior may be made only upon 
notice to, and with the approval of, such department or agency. 
SEC. 9. If the production, use, or conversion of geothermal steam is 
susceptible of producing a valuable byproduct or byproducts, including 
commercially demineralized water for beneficial uses in accordance 
with applicable State water laws, the Secretary shall require substan-
tial beneficial production or use thereof unless, in individual circum-
stances he modifies or waives this requirement in the interest of 
conservation of natural resources or for other reasons satisfactory to 
him. However, the production or use of such byproducts shall be sub-
ject to the rights of the holders of preexisting leases, claims, or permits 
covering the same land or the same minerals, if any. 
SEC. 10. The holder of any geothermal lease at any time may make 
and file in the appropriate land office a written relinquishment of all 
rights under such lease or of any legal subdivision of the area covered 
by such lease. Such relinquishment shall be effective as of the date of 
its filing. Thereupon the lessee shall be released of all obligations there-
after accruing under said lease with respect to the lands relinquished, 
but no such relinquishment shall release such lessee, or his surety or 
bond, from any liability for breach of any obligation of the lease, other 
than an obligation to drill, accrued at the date of the relinquishment, 
or from the continued obligation, in accordance with the applicable 
lease terms and regulations, (1) to make payment of all accrued rentals 
and royalties, (2) to place all wells on the relinquished lands in condi-
tion for suspension or abandonment, and (3) to protect or restore sub-
stantially the surface and surface resources. 
SEC. 11. The Secretary, upon application by the lessee, may authorize 
the lessee to suspend operations and production on a producing lease 
and he may, on his own motion, in the interest of conservation suspend 
operations on any lease but in either case he may extend the lease term 
for the period of any suspension, and he may waive, suspend, or reduce 
the rental or royalty required in such lease. 
SEC. 12. Leases mav be terminated by the Secretary for any violation 
of the regulations or lease terms after thirty days notice provided that 
such violation is not corrected within the notice period, or in the event 
the violation is such that it cannot be corrected within the notice period 
then provided that lessee has not commenced in good faith within said 
notice period to correct such violation and thereafter to proceed dili-
gently to correct such violation. Lessee shall be entitled to a hearing on 
the matter of such claimed violation or proposed termination of lease 
if request for a hearing is made to the Secretary within the thirty-day 
period after notice. The period for correction of violation or com-
mencement to correct such violation of regulations or of lease terms, as 
aforesaid, shall be extended to thirty days after the Secretary's deci-
sion after such hearing if the Secretary shall find that a violation 
exists. 
SEC. 13. The Secretary may waive, suspend, or reduce the rental or 
royalty for any lease or portion thereof in the interests of conserva-
tion and to encourage the greatest ultimate recovery of geothermal 
84 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 91-581-DEC. 24, 1970 
1571 
resources, if he determines that this is necessary to promote develop-
ment or that the lease cannot be successfully operated under the lease 
terms. 
SEC. 14. Subject to the other provisions of this Act, a lessee shall be ^g^"'^^''' ^^"'^' 
entitled to use so much of the surface of the land covered by his geo-
thermal lease as may be found by the Secretary to be necessary for 
the production, utilization, and conservation of geothermal resources. 
SEC. 15. (a) Geothermal leases for lands withdrawn or acquired in 
aid of functions of the Department of the Interior may be issued only 
under such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe to 
insure adequate utilization of the lands for the purposes for which they 
were withdrawn or acquired. 
(b) Geothermal leases for lands withdrawn or acquired in aid of 
functions of the Department of Agriculture may be issued only with 
the consent of, and subject to such terms and conditions as msij be 
prescribed by, the head of that Department to insure adequate utiliza-
tion of the lands for the purposes for which they were withdrawn or 
acquired. Geothermal leases for lands to which section 24 of the Federal 
Power Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 818), is applicable, may be issued 62^stft?275!^^' 
only with the consent of, and subject to, such terms and conditions as 
the Federal Power Commission may prescribe to insure adequate 
utilization of such lands for power and related purposes. 
(c) Geothermal leases under this Act shall not be issued for lands 
administered in accordance with (1) the Act of August 25, 1916 (39 
Stat. 535), as amended or supplemented, (2) for lands within a national 
i^ use 1. 
recreation area, (3) for lands in a fish hatchery administered by the 
Secretary, wildlife refuge, wildlife range, game range, wildlife man-
agement area, waterfowl production area, or for lands acquired or 
reserved for the protection and conservation of fish and wildlife that 
are threatened with extinction, (4) for tribally or individually owned 
Indian trust or restricted lands, within or without the boundaries of 
Indian reservations. 
SEC. 16. Leases under this Act may be issued only to citizens of the 
Lessees, citi-
United States, associations of such citizens, corporations organized ^en^!*^^ require-
under the laws of the United States or of any State or the District 
of Columbia, or governmental units, including, without limitation, 
municipalities. 
SEC. 17. Administration of this Act shall be under the principles of 
multiple use of lands and resources, and geothermal leases shall, insofar 
as feasible, allow for coexistence of other leases of the same lands for 
deposits of minerals under the laws applicable to them, for the location 
and production of claims under the mining laws, and for other uses of 
the areas covered by them. Operations under such other leases or for 
such other uses, however, shall not unreasonably interfere with or 
endanger operations under any lease issued pursuant to this Act, nor 
shall operations under leases so issued unreasonably interfere with or 
endanger operations under any lease, license, claim, or permit issued 
pursuant to the provisions of any other Act. 
SEC. 18. For the purpose of properly conserving the natural resources u„^°„°^^''^"''^ "^ 
of any geothermal pool, field, or like area, or any part thereof, lessees 
thereof and their representatives may unite with each other, or jointly 
or separately with others, in collectively adopting and operating under 
a cooperative or unit plan of development or operation of such pool, 
field, or like area, or any part thereof, whenever this is determined and 
certified by the Secretary to be necessary or advisable in the public 
interest. The Secretary may in his discretion and with the consent of 
the holders of leases involved, establish, alter, change, revoke, and 
make such regulations with reference to such leases in connection with 
the institution and operation of any such cooperative or unit plan as 
he may deem necessary or proper to secure reasonable protection of the 
47-348 0 - 7 2 - 1 6 (Pt. 2) 
unit plan. 
1572 
PUBLIC LAW 91-581-DEC. 24, 1970 
[84 STAT. 
Information, 
availability. 
Moneys. 
Publication in 
Federal Register. 
public interest. He may include in geothermal leases a provision requir-
ing the lessee to operate under such a reasonable cooperative or unit 
plan, and he may prescribe such a plan under which such lessee shall 
operate, which shall adec[uately protect the rights of all parties in 
interest, including the United States. Any such plan may, in the discre-
tion of the Secretary, provide for vesting in the Secretary or any other 
person, committee, or Federal or State agency designated therein, 
authority to alter or modify from time to time the rate of prospecting 
and development and the quantity and rate of production under such 
plan. All leases operated under any such plan approved or prescribed 
by the Secretary shall be excepted in determining holdings or control 
for the purposes of section 7 of this Act. 
When separate tracts cannot be independently developed and oper-
ated in conformity with an established well-spacing or development 
program, any lease, or a portion thereof, may be pooled with other 
lands, whether or not owned by the United States, under a communiti-
zation or drilling agreement providing for an apportionment of pro-
duction or royalties among the separate tracts of land comprising the 
drilling or spacing unit when determined by the Secretary to be in the 
public interest, and operations or production pursuant to such an agree-
ment shall be deemed to be operations or production as to each lease 
committed thereto. 
The Secretary is hereby authorized, on such conditions as he may 
prescribe, to approve operating, drilling, or development contracte 
made by one or more lessees of ^eothermal 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 or the interests of the United States may be best served 
thereby. All leases operated under such approved operating, drilling, 
or development contracts, and interests thereunder, shall be excepted 
in determining holdings or control under section 7 of this Act. 
SEC. 19. Upon request of the Secretary, other Federal departments 
and agencies shall furnish him with any relevant data then in their 
possession or knowledge concerning or having bearing upon fair and 
adequate charges to be made for geothermal steam produced or to be 
produced for conversion to electric power or other purposes. Data 
given to any department or agency as confidential under law shall not 
be furnished in any fashion which identifies or tends to identify the 
business entity whose activities are the subject of such data or the per-
son or persons who furnished such information. 
SEC. 20. All moneys received under this Act from public lands 
under the jurisdiction of the Secretary shall be disposed of in the same 
manner as moneys received from the sale of public lands. Moneys 
received under this Act from other lands shall be disposed of in the 
same manner as other receipts from such lands. 
SEC. 21. (a) Within one hundred and twenty days after the effective 
date of this Act, the Secretary shall cause to be published in the 
Federal Register a determination of all lands which were included 
within any known geothermal resources area on the effective date of 
the Act, He shall likewise publish in the Federal Register from time 
to time his determination of other known geothermal resources areas 
specifying in each case the date the lands were included in such area; 
and 
(b) Geothermal resources in lands the surface of which has passed 
from Federal ownership but in which the minerals have been reserved 
to the United States shall not be developed or produced except under 
geothermal leases made pursuant to this Act. If the Secretary of the 
Interior finds that such development is imminent, or that production 
from a well heretofore drilled on such lands is imminent, he shall so 
report to the Attorney General, and the Attorney General is authorized 
84 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 91-581-DEC. 24, 1970 
1573 
and directed to institute an appropriate proceeding in the United 
States district court of the district in which such lands are located, to 
quiet the title of the United States in such resources, and if the court 
determines that the reservation of minerals to the United States in 
the lands involved included the geothermal resources, to enjoin their 
production otherwise than under the terms of this Act: 
Provided, 
That upon an authoritative judicial determination that Federal min-
eral reservation does not include geothermal steam and associated 
geothermal resources the duties of the Secretary of the Interior to 
report and of the Attorney General to institute proceedings, as here-
inbefore set forth, shall cease. 
SEC. 22. Nothing in this Act shall constitute an express or implied 
claim or denial on the part of the Federal Government as to its 
exemption from State water laws. 
SEC. 23. (a) All leases under this Act shall be subject to the condi- ^J^^^^' P--^^^"-
tion that the lessee will, in conducting his exploration, development, 
and producing operations, use all reasonable precautions to prevent 
waste of geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources 
developed in the lands leased. 
(b) Rights to develop and utilize geothermal steam and associated 
geothermal resources underlying lands owned by the United States 
may be acquired solely in accordance with the provisions of this Act. 
SEC. 24. The Secretary shall prescribe such rules and regulations as j^^^lf/ ^
"
"
^ '^^^"' 
he may deem appropriate to carry out the provisions of this Act. Such 
regulations may include, without limitation, provisions for (a) the 
prevention of waste, (b) development and conservation of geothermal 
and other natural resources, (c) the protection of the public interest, 
(d) assignment, segregation, extension of terms, relinquishment of 
leases, development contracts, unitization, pooling, and drilling agree-
ments, (e) compensatory royalty agreements, suspension of operations 
or production, and suspension or reduction of rentals or royalties, 
(f) the filing of surety bonds to assure compliance with the terms of 
the lease and to protect surface use and resources, (g) use of the sur-
face by a lessee of the lands embraced in his lease, (h) the maintenance 
by the lessee of an active development program, and (i) protection of 
water quality and other environmental qualities. 
SEC. 25. As to any land subject to geothermal leasing under section 
3 of this Act, all laws which either (a) provide for the disposal of land 
by patent or other form of conveyance or by grant or by operation of 
law subject to a reservation of any mineral or (b) prevent or restrict 
the disposal of such land because of the mineral character of the land, 
shall hereafter be deemed to embrace geothermal steam and associated 
geothermal resources as a substance which either must be reserved or 
must prevent or restrict the disposal of such land, as the case may be. 
This section shall not be construed to affect grants, patents, or other 
forms of conveyances made prior to the date of enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 26. The first two clauses in section 11 of the Act of August 13, 
1954 (68 Stat. 708, 716), are amended to read as follows: 
3o use 530. 
"As used in this Act, 'mineral leasing laws' shall mean the Act of 
February 25,1920 (41 Stat. 437); the Act of April 17, 1926 (44 Stat, 
^o use isi. 
301); the Act of February 7,1927 (44 Stat. 1057); Geothermal Steam 
^° "f^ 271. 
Act of 1970, and all Acts heretofore or hereafter enacted which are 
" "''^ " ' 
amendatory of or supplementary to any of the foregoing Acts; 'Leas-
ing Act mmerals' shall mean all minerals which, upon the effective 
date of this Act, are provided in the mineral leasing laws to be disposed 
of thereunder and all geothermal steam and associated geothermal 
resources which, upon the effective date of the Geothermal Steam Act 
of 1970, are provided in that Act to be disposed of thereunder;". 
30 u s e 281. 
1574 
PUBLIC LAW 91-582-DEC. 24, 1970 
[84 STAT. 
Certain mineral 
rights, retention 
by U.S. 
SEC. 27. The United States reserves the ownership of and the right 
to extract under such rules and regulations as the Secretary may pre-
scribe oil, hydrocarbon gas, and helium from all geothermal steam 
and associated geothermal resources produced from lands leased under 
this Act in accordance with presently applicable laws: Provided^ That 
whenever the right to extract oil, hydrocarbon gas, and helium from 
geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources produced from 
such lands is exercised pursiiant to this section, it shall be exercised 
so as to cause no substantial interference with the production of geo-
thermal steam and associated geothermal resources from such lands. 
Approved December 24, 1970. 
December 24,1970 
[H. R. 8663] 
Public Law 91-582 
AN ACT 
To amend the Act of September 20, 1968 (Public Law 90-502), to provide relief 
to certain former officers of the Supply Corps and Civil Engineers Corps of 
the Navy. 
Navy. 
Supply Corps 
and Civil Engineer 
Corps, former of-
ficers. 
82 Stat. 852. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate und Souse of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That subsection (a) 
of section 6388 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding 
the following after the last sentence: "The provisions of this subsec-
tion are effective as of August 7,1947.". 
SEC. 2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a former officer 
of the Navy in the Supply Corps and Civil Engineer Corps who is 
considered to have twice failed of selection for promotion to either 
the grade of lieutenant commander or the grade of lieutenant and 
who was discharged prior to September 20, 1968, is entitled to be 
credited with his total commissioned service in determining the 
amount of his severance pay and to submit a claim for payment prior 
to September 20, 1973, for any diminution thereof through a failure 
to be credited for prior service as an officer in the line. 
Approved December 24, 1970, 
December 24,1970 
[S. 528] 
Public Law 91-583 
AN ACT 
To provide that the reservoir formed by the lock and dam referred to as the 
"Millers Ferry lock and dam" on the Alabama River, Alabama, shall hereafter 
be known as the William "Bill" Dannelly Reservoir. 
William "Bill" 
Dannelly Reser-
voir, Ala. 
Designation. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That in honor of late 
Probate Judge William "BilP' Dannelly of Wilcox County, Alabama, 
and in recognition of his long and outstanding service to his county, 
State, and Nation, and his leadership in the modernization of the Ala-
bama-Coosa Waterway, the reservoir formed by the Millers Ferry lock 
and dam on the Alabama River, Alabama, shall hereafter be known 
and designated as the William "Bill" Dannelly Reservoir. Any law, 
regulation, map, or record of the United States in which such reservoir 
is referred to shall be held and considered to refer to such reservoir by 
the name of the William "Bill" Dannelly Reservoir. 
Approved December 24, 1970.