Joint resolution consenting to an interstate compact to conserve oil and gas
PL 86-143 (H.J.Res.280), enacted 08/07/1959

290 
PUBLIC LAW 86-143-AUG. 7, 1959 
[73 ST A T , 
August 7, 1959 
[H. J. Res. 280] 
O i l 
and 
compact. 
Extension. 
49 Stat. 939. 
50 Stat. 617. 
S3 Stat. 1071. 
55 Stat. 666. 
57 Stat. 383. 
61 Stat. 316. 
65 Stat. 199. 
69 Stat. 385. 
Public Law 86.143 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
Consenting to an interstate compact to conserve oil and gas. 
Resolved hy the Seriate and House of Representatives 
of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled, That the consent of Con-
gress is hereby given to an extension and renewal for a period of four 
years from September 1, 1959, of the interstate compact to conserve 
oil and gas, which was signed in the city of Dallas, Texas, the 16th 
day of February 1935 by the representatives of Oklahoma, Texas, 
California, and New Mexico, and at the same time and place was 
signed by the representatives, as a recommendation for approval to 
the Governors and Legislatures of the States of Arkansas, Colorado, 
Illinois, Kansas, and Michigan, and prior to August 27, 1935, said 
compact was presented to and approved by the Legislatures and Gov-
ernors of the States of New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Colo-
rado, and Texas, wiiich said compact so approved by the six States 
last above named was deposited m the Department of State of the 
United States, and thereafterwards Congress gave its consent to said 
compact by H.J. Res. 407 (Public Resolution Numbered 64), for a 
geriod of two years and thereafterwards said compact was extended 
y Governors of the compacting States and Congress gave its consent 
thereto as follows: by S.J. Res. 183 (Public Resolution Numbered 
57); by H.J. Res. 329 (Public Resolution Numbered 31); by H.J. 
Res. 228 (Public Law Numbered 246), each for a period of two years 
and thereafterwards further extended by H.J. Res. 139 (Public Law 
Numbered 117); by S.J. Res. 122 (Public Law Numbered 184); by 
S.J. Res. 42 (Public Law Numbered 128); and by S.J. Res. 38 (Public 
Law Numbered 185), all for a period of four years, until September 1, 
1959. 
The agreement to extend and renew said compact for a period of 
four years from September 1, 1959, to September 1, 1963, duly exe-
cuted by representatives of the States of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, 
Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missis-
sippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North 
Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvaniaj South Dakota, Tennessee, 
Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming, has been 
deposited in the Department of State of the United States, and reads 
as follows: 
"AN AGREEMENT TO E X T E N D T H E 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: 
73 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 86-143-AUG. 7, 1969 
291 
'"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 
I I 
" 'The purpose of this compact is to conserve oil and gas by the 
prevention of physical waste thereof from any cause. 
" 'ARTICLE 
I I I 
" 'Each state bound hereby agrees that within a reasonable time it 
will enact laws, or if the laws have been enacted, then it agrees to con-
tinue the same in force, to accomplish within reasonable limits the 
prevention 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. 
" ' f d) The creation of unnecessary fire hazards. 
'"(e) The drilling, equipping, locating, spacing, or operating of a 
well or wells so as to bring about physical waste of oil or gas or loss 
in the ultimate recovery thereof. 
'"(f) The inefficient, excessive, or improper use of the reservoir 
energy in producing any well. 
" 'The enumeration of the foregoing subjects shall not limit the 
scope of the authority of any state. 
" 'ARTICLE 
IV 
" 'Each state bound hereby agrees that it will, within a reasonable 
time, enact statutes, or if such statutes have been enacted then that 
it will continue the same in force, providing in effect that oil produced 
in violation of its valid oil and/or gas conservation statutes or any 
valid rule, order or regulation promulgated thereunder, shall be 
denied access to commerce; and providing for stringent penalties for 
the waste of either oil or gas. 
" 'ARTICLE V 
" 'It is not the purpose of this compact to authorize the states 
joining herein to limit the production of oil or gas for the purpose 
of stabilizing or fixing the price thereof, or create or perpetuate 
monopoly, or to promote regimentation, but is limited to the purpose 
of conserving oil and gas and preventing the avoidable waste thereof 
within reasonable limitations. 
292 
PUBLIC LAW 86-143-,AUG. 7, 1959 
[73 STAT. 
" 'ARTICLE VI 
" 'Each state joining herein shall appoint one representative to a 
commission hereby constituted and designated as 
" ' "THE INTERSTATE OIL COMPACT COMMISSION." 
the duty of which said commission shall be to make inquiry and 
ascertain from time to time such methods, practices, circumstances, 
and conditions as may be disclosed for bringing about conservation 
and the prevention of physical waste of oil and gas, and at such in-
tervals as said commission deems beneficial it shall report its findings 
and recommendations to the several States for adoption or rejection. 
" 'The Commission shall have power to recommend the coordination 
of the exercise of the police powers of the several states within their 
several jurisdictions to promote the maximum ultimate recovery from 
the petroleum reserves of said states, and to recommend measures for 
the maximum ultimate recovery of oil and gas. 
Said Commission 
shall organize and adopt suitable rules and regulations for the conduct 
of its business. 
" 'No action shall be taken by the Commission except: (1) by the 
affirmative votes of the majority of the whole number of the compact-
ing States represented at any meeting, and (2) by a concurring vote 
of a majority in interest of the compacting States at said meeting, 
such interest to be determined as follows: such vote of each State shall 
be in the decimal proportion fixed by the ratio of its daily average 
production during the preceding calendar half-yeaT to the daily aver-
age production of the compacting States during said period. 
" 'ARTICLE 
VII 
" 'No State by joining herein shall become financially obligated to 
any other State, nor shall the breach of the terms hereof by any State 
subject such State to financial responsibility to the other States join-
ing herein. 
'"ARTICLE VIII 
" 'This compact shall expire September 1, 1937. But any State 
joining herein may, upon sixty (60) days notice, withdraw herefrom. 
" 'The representatives of the signatory States have signed this 
agreement in a single original which shall oe deposited in the archives 
of the Department of State of the United States, and a duly certified 
copy shall be forwarded to the Governor of each of the signatory 
states. 
" 'This compact shall become effective when ratified and approved 
as provided in Article I. 
Any oil-producing State may become a 
party hereto b^ affixing its signature to a counterpart to be similarly 
deposited, certified, and ratified.' 
"WHEREAS, the said Interstate Compact to Conserve Oil and Gas 
has heretofore been duly renewed and extended with the consent of 
the Congress to September 1,1955; and 
"WHEREAS, it is desired, to renew and extend the said Interstate 
Compact to Conserve Oil and Gas for a period of four (4) years from 
September 1,1959, to September 1, 1963: 
% O W , THEREFORE, T H I S WRITING W I T N E S S E T H : 
"It is hereby agreed that the Compact entitled 
" 'AN INTERSTATE COMPACT TO CONSERVE OIL AND 
GAS' executed in the City of Dallas, Texas, on the 16th of February, 
1935, and now on deposit with the Department of State of the United 
States, a correct copy of which appears above, be, and the same hereby 
73 S T A T . ] 
P U B U C LAW 8 6 - 1 4 3 - A U G . 7, 1959 
293 
is, extended for a period of four (4) years from September 1, 1959, 
its present date of expiration, to September 1,1963. This agreement 
shall become effective when executed, ratified, and approved as pro-
vided in Article I of the Original Compact. 
"The signatory States have executed this agreement in a single 
original which shall be deposited in the archives of the Department 
of State of the United States and a duly certified copy thereof shall 
be forwarded to the Governor of each of the signatory States. Any 
oil-producing state may become a party hereto by executing a counter-
part of this agreement ta be similarly deposited, certified and ratified. 
"EXECUTED by the several undersigned states, at their several 
state capitols, through their proper officials on the dates as shown, as 
duly authorized by statutes and resolutions, subject to the limitations 
ana qualifications of the acts of the respective State Legislatures. 
"THE STATE OF ALABAMA 
"By JAMES E . FOLSOM, Governor 
"Dated: 10-22-58 
"Attest: MARY TEXAS H U N T GARNER 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE OF ALASKA 
"By 
, Governor 
"Dated: 
"Attest: 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE O F ARIZONA 
"By PAUL J. FANNIN, Governor 
"Dated: 1-29-59 
"Attest: WESLEY BOLIN 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE O F ARKANSAS 
"By ORVAL E . FAUBUS, Governor 
"Dated: 1-28-59 
"Attest: C. G. HALL 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE OF COLORADO 
"By STEVE MCNICHOLS, Governor 
"Dated: 8-1-58 
"Attest: GEORGE J. BAKER 
"Secretary of State 
"By: F . J. SERAFINI 
"Deputy 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE OF FLORIDA 
"By LEROY COLLINS, Governor 
"Dated: 10-28-58 
"Attest: R. A. GRAY 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
294 
PUBLIC LAW 86-143-AUG. 7, 1969 
[73 ST 
"THE STATE OF ILLINOIS 
"By 
, Governor 
"Dated: 
"Attest: 
AT 
"(SEAL) 
"Secretary of State 
"THE STATE OF INDIANA 
"By HAROLD W . HANDLEY, Governor 
"Dated: 8-18-58 
"Attest: FRANK A. LENNING 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE OF KANSAS 
"By 
—
, Governor 
"Dated: 
"Attest: 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE OF KENTUCKY 
"By ALBERT B . CHANDLER, Governor 
"Dated: 2-5-59 
"Attest: THELMA L . STOVALL 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE OF LOUISIANA 
"By EARL K . LONG, Governor 
"Dated: 11-12-58 
"Attest: WADE O . MARTIN, JR. 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE OF MICHIGAN 
"By G. MENNEN WILLIAMS, Governor 
"Dated: 1-12-59 
"Attest: JAMES M . HARE 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI 
"By JAMES P. COLEMAN, Governor 
"Dated: 10-15-58 
"Attest: HEBER A. LADNER 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE OF MONTANA 
"By J. HUGO ARONSON, Governor 
"Dated: 8-28-58 
"Attest: FRANK MURRAY 
"Secretary of State 
"By: WILLIAM J. CARL 
"Deputy 
"(SEAL) 
73 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 86-143-AUG. 7, 1959 
296 
"THE STATE OF NEBKASKA 
"By VICTOR E . ANDERSON, Governor 
"Dated: 9-11-58 
"Attest: FRANK MARSH 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE O F NEVADA 
"By CHARLES H . RUSSELL, Governor 
"Dated: 9-29-58 
"Attest: J O H N KOONTZ 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE OF N E W MEXICO 
"By EDWIN L . MECHEM, Governor 
"Dated: 8-9-58 
"Attest: NATALIE S . BUCK 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE O F N E W YORK 
"By AvERELL HARRIMAN, Governor 
"Dated: 12-5-58 
"Attest: CARMINE G . DESAPIO 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA 
"By J O H N E . DAVIS, Governor 
"Dated: 10-6-58 
"Attest: B E N MEIER 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE O F OHIO 
"By C. WILLIAM O'NEILL, Governor 
"Dated: 
8-20-58 
"Attest: 
TED W . B R O W N 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA 
"By RAYMOND GARY, Governor 
"Dated: 
7-30-58 
"Attest: 
ANDY ANDERSON 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA 
"By GEORGE M . LEADER, Governor 
"Dated: 
12-16-58 
"Attest: 
JOHN S . RICE 
"Secretary of State 
" (SEAL) 
"THE STATE O F SOUTH DAKOTA 
"By RALPH HERSETH, Governor 
"Dated: 
2-9-59 
"Attest: 
SELMA SANDNESS 
"Secretary of State 
" (SEAL) 
296 
PUBLIC LAW 86-144-AUG. 7, 1959 
[73 8 T 
A T . 
"THE STATE OF TENNESSEE 
"By BuFORD ELLINGTON, Governor 
"Dated: 2-6-59 
"Attest: JOE C . CARR 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE OF TEXAS 
"By PRICE DANIEL, Governor 
"Dated: 8-25-58 
"Attest: ZoLLiE STEAKLEY 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE OF U T A H 
"By GEORGE D . CLYDE, Governor 
"Dated: 9-22-58 
"Attest: LAMONT F . TORONTO 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE O F WASHINGTON 
"By ALBERT D . ROSELLINI, Governor 
"Dated: 2-19-59 
"Attest: VICTOR A. MEYERS 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA 
"By CECIL H . UNDERWOOD, Governor 
"Dated: 9-4-58 
"Attest: HELEN Hoivr 
"Secretary of State 
"(SEAL) 
"THE STATE OF WYOMING 
"By MILWARD L . SIMPSON, Governor 
"Dated: 7-28-58 
"Attest: RAY ROBERTSON 
"Deputy Secretary of State 
"(SEAL)" 
Report. 
SEC. 2. The Attorney General of the United States shall make an 
annual report to Congress for the duration of the Interstate Compact 
to Conserve Oil and Gas as to whether or not the activities of the 
States under the provisions of such compact have been consistent with 
the purpose as set out in article V of such compact. 
SEC. 3. The right to alter, amend, or repeal the provisions of the 
first section of this joint resolution is hereby expressly reserved. 
Approved August 7, 1959. 
Public Law 86-144 
August 7, 1959 
AN A C T 
To amend sections 43 and 34 of the Bankruptcy Act (11 U.S.C. 71, 62) to simplify 
the filling of referee vacancies. 
[H. R. 4340] 
Bankruptcy Act, 
referee vacancies. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America m Congress assembled^ That subdivision b 
n ulc 7 ?(t;. 
of section 43 of the Bankruptcy Act (11 U.S.C. 71b) is hereby amended 
to read as follows: