Jeanine Feriancek

Will My Federal Lease Be Extended?

Like virtually all modern oil and gas leases, federal leases have a fixed primary term (typically 10 years)[1] and a habendum (i.e., “so long thereafter”) clause.  But understanding the provisions of the Mineral Lands Leasing Act of 1920 (“MLA”) and BLM regulations governing extension of federal oil and gas leases can be tricky.

Production in paying quantities.  Obtaining production is the most obvious means of lease extension – if there is a producing oil or gas well on the leased premises when the primary term expires, the lease is extended for so long as oil or gas is produced in paying quantities.[2]  The term “paying quantities” means production “sufficient to yield a reasonable profit after payment of all the day-to-day costs incurred after the initial drilling and equipping of the well, that is, the costs of operating the well, including workovers and maintenance, rendering the oil or gas marketable, and transporting and marketing that product.”[3]

However, it isn’t necessary for there to be actual production from a federal lease for it to be extended beyond the primary term; rather, the lease will be extended indefinitely if there is a well “capable of producing oil or gas in paying quantities” on the leased premises.[4]  BLM determines whether a well meets this requirement.  The well must be physically in a condition to produce by “flipping a switch” with little or no additional work.  For example, a shut-in well qualifies as capable of producing in paying quantities, but a well in which the casing has been set and cemented but not perforated does not qualify.[5]  The IBLA also has upheld lease termination when equipment required for production was not on site.[6]

This extension has its limitations, since the MLA grants BLM the authority to order the lessee to begin production within a period of not less than 60 days from receipt of notice from that agency.[7]  Failure to commence actual production within the time allowed by BLM results in termination of the lease.[8]  And because federal leases are not paid-up leases, the lessee also must pay annual rentals on or before each anniversary date of the lease until oil or gas in paying quantities actually is produced from the lease.

Drilling over primary term.  If the lessee is engaged in drilling operations at the expiration of the primary term of the lease,[9] the lease term will be extended for an additional two years if certain requirements are met.[10]  Actual drilling operations that penetrate the earth are required.  Mere site preparation, or even moving a rig on site, is not enough to obtain extension of a federal lease by drilling.[11]  The operations must be conducted under an approved application for permit to drill (“APD”).  Also, to get the drilling over extension, the lessee must have paid rentals on or before the lease anniversary date.

After commencing drilling operations, the lessee must diligently conduct such operations in a bona fide effort to drill and complete the well as a producer.  The standard is that of a reasonably prudent operator, and drilling operations must be conducted in a manner that “anyone seriously looking for oil or gas can be expected to make in that particular area, given the existing knowledge of geologic and other pertinent facts.”[12]  Notably, the drilling over extension relates only to the primary term, and it is not available if the lease was previously extended for another reason.  Nonetheless, the drilling over extension can apply if the lease was suspended (see below), since that results in tolling the lease term.

Commencement of additional drilling operations.  If production in paying quantities ceases on a federal lease in its extended term, the lessee must commence reworking operations or drilling operations for a new well within 60 days or the lease will terminate.  Because the MLA itself provides that the 60-day period to commence drilling or reworking operations begins running “after cessation of production,”[13] the safest course is to commence operations within that period.  BLM regulations, on the other hand, provide that the 60-day period does not begin until receipt of notice from BLM that the lease is not capable of production in paying quantities.[14]  As with drilling over the primary term, once commenced, continuous operations in the extended term also must be conducted with reasonable diligence.[15]

Assign part of the lease.  If the lessee assigns 100% record title (and operating rights) in a portion of a federal lease, such assignment will cause a segregation of the assigned lands into a separate lease.  Such segregation potentially can extend a federal lease in different ways.  First, if a discovery of oil or gas in paying quantities later is made on any portion of the original leased lands, both the base lease and the segregated lease will continue for the longer of the primary term of the base lease or for two years after the date of discovery.[16]  Interestingly, there is no requirement to complete a well – a discovery can be proved by other evidence.[17]  However, a well eventually must be completed as capable of producing in paying quantities in order to qualify.  As with other extensions, rental payments are still required until there is a discovery.  Second, if the base lease is in an extended term due to production (actual or allocated) or by payment of compensatory royalties, the undeveloped portion will continue for two years from the effective date of the assignment and so long thereafter as oil or gas are produced in paying quantities.[18]

Pay compensatory royalty.  If the leased premises are determined by BLM to be subject to significant drainage from a well on neighboring lands and the lessee enters into a compensatory royalty agreement with BLM and pays a compensatory royalty for the drainage, such payment will extend the lease for the period in which the compensatory royalties are paid plus one year thereafter.[19]  As a practical matter, BLM typically will not enter into a compensatory royalty agreement if it believes the lessee can drill an offset well.  The lessee also must pay rentals.

Unit-related extensions.  If consent of the necessary parties is obtained and approval is obtained from BLM (which includes a public interest determination), the lessee may commit a federal lease to a federal exploratory unit, which can affect lease extension.  A federal lease is not extended automatically through commitment to a unit agreement alone.  However, production of oil or gas in paying quantities anywhere in the unit area will maintain a committed federal lease so long as the lease remains committed to the unit.[20]  Production from a well that meets the paying quantities test on a lease basis but which is not sufficient to establish a unit well and form a participating area (often called a “Yates well”) nonetheless will extend the leases committed to the unit.[21]  Also, the drilling over extension discussed above will extend a federal lease when actual drilling over the end of the primary term occurs on any lease committed to the unit.  Until a well capable of production in paying quantities is drilled on the lease or a participating area is established and production is allocated to the lease, the lessee must continue paying rentals.

Commitment of a federal lease to a unit with lands both inside and outside of the unit area will cause the lands outside of the unit area to be segregated into a separate lease.  The uncommitted lands will be extended for the term of the original lease, but for not less than two years from the effective date of the commitment to the unit.[22]  Similarly, when all of the leased lands in a federal lease committed to a unit are eliminated from the unit by termination or contraction of the unit, the lease will be extended for the term of the original lease, but for not less than two years from the effective date of the elimination.[23]  However, in both cases, there is no extension if the public interest requirement is not met.  The public interest requirement is met “if the unit operator commences actual drilling operations and thereafter diligently prosecutes such operations in accordance with the terms of said [unit] agreement.”[24]

Partial commitment and elimination from a unit can result in some lease extension complexities.  In particular, if a federal lease is producing beyond its primary term when it is partially committed to a unit (and thus the non-committed land is segregated), the segregated portion that does not have a producing well will remain in effect for so long as production in paying quantities continues from the existing well(s) on the other portion, regardless of which portion is committed to the unit.[25]  This typically is referred to as “associated production.”  But if the lease is still in its primary term (even if the lease is producing), the non-producing portion will not receive the benefit of the existing production after segregation.  Instead, it will remain in effect for the rest of its fixed term or two years, whichever is longer.

Additionally, a producing lease fully eliminated from a unit will receive a fixed term equal to the later of two years from the effective date of elimination or its original primary term, even though the lease is producing in an extended term at the time of elimination.[26]  This means that if the lease subsequently is partially committed another federal unit it would not receive any “associated production” as discussed above.  There are many nuances and interesting results when a federal lease has been committed to and eliminated from multiple units.  Thus, the facts and relevant law should be reviewed carefully to determine whether a lease in this situation has been properly extended.

Communitization agreement related extensions.  Commitment of lands in a federal lease to a communitization agreement is the federal equivalent of pooling.  A communitization agreement generally must conform to an existing state spacing pattern or commission order and it must be approved by BLM.[27]  Unlike unitization, commitment of part of the lands in a federal lease to a communitization agreement does not result in segregation, and thus the segregation extension mentioned above does not apply.

Similar to federal units, if any portion of a federal lease is committed to a communitization agreement, the entire lease will be extended by production in paying quantities or by the completion of a well capable of producing in paying quantities on any communitized land.[28]  In addition, actual drilling operations over the primary term of a federal lease anywhere on the communitized lands will extend the lease for two years.[29]  BLM’s approval of the communitization agreement need not be obtained prior to the end of the primary term in order to obtain the lease extension benefits, but the agreement must be signed by all necessary parties and filed with BLM prior to lease expiration.[30]  Finally, if a communitization agreement is terminated, so long as the public interest requirement was met, the eliminated federal lease will receive an extension of the remainder of its primary term or two years, whichever is longer.[31]

Suspensions.  The MLA also provides for another means of keeping a federal lease alive that technically results in tolling of the lease term and adding the period of suspension to it.[32]  The MLA gives BLM the authority to grant two types of suspension of an entire federal oil and gas lease following receipt of a timely application from all record title holders (or the unit operator with respect to all leases committed to a federal unit) showing why such relief is necessary.  First, BLM may grant suspensions of both operations and production “in the interest of conservation” (known as a Section 39 suspension).[33] Section 39 suspensions are intended to provide extraordinary relief when a lessee is denied beneficial use of its lease.[34]  For example, BLM might grant a Section 39 suspension to allow time for the reviews required by environmental statutes such as NEPA and the Endangered Species Act.  BLM also has identified many situations in which a Section 39 suspension is not warranted – a significant one being when an APD is submitted incomplete or untimely.  A Section 39 suspension terminates if the lessee undertakes activity such as road construction, site preparation or drilling. Rentals and minimum royalty payments are suspended under a Section 39 suspension.

Second, BLM may grant suspension of operations only or a suspension of production only when the lessee is prevented from operating on or producing from the lease, despite the exercise of due care and diligence, by reason of force majeure (known as a Section 17 suspension).[35]  BLM may only grant Section 17 suspension after operations on the lease have commenced and production has been obtained.[36]

[1] Competitive federal leases issued between 1988 and 1992 have five-year primary terms, and some older leases with 20-year terms subject to renewal remain in effect.

[2] 30 U.S.C. § 226(e); 43 C.F.R. § 3107.2-1.

[3] Abe M. & George Kalaf, 134 IBLA 133, 138, GFS(O&G) 3 (1995).

[4] 43 C.F.R. §3107.2-3.

[5] See Coronado Oil Co., 164 IBLA 309, 323, GFS(O&G) 10 (2005).

[6] Int’l Metals & Petroleum Corp., 158 IBLA 15, 22-23, GFS(O&G) 1 (2003).

[7] 30 U.S.C. §226(i); 43 C.F.R. § 3107.2-3.

[8] Id.

[9] The primary term expires at midnight on the day immediately preceding the lease anniversary.

[10] 43 C.F.R. § 3107.1.

[11] Estelle Wolf, et al., 37 IBLA 195, GFS(O&G) 157 (1978).

[12] 43 C.F.R. § 3107.1.

[13] 30 U.S.C. § 226(i).

[14] 43 C.F.R. § 3107.2-2. The IBLA long has held that written notice from BLM is not required when a lease ceases producing in paying quantities and, thus, the 60-days to drill starts running upon cessation of production. While the federal district court overturned the IBLA on this point in Coronado Oil Co. v. DOI, 415 F. Supp.2d 1339, 1348 (D. Wyo. 2006), that decision is narrowly construed by the IBLA.  See e.g., Atchee CBM, LLC, 183 IBLA 389, 406-08, GFS(O&G) 6 (2013).

[15] 43 C.F.R. §§ 3107.2-2 and -3.

[16] 43 C.F.R. § 3107.5-1.

[17] See Joseph I. O’Neill, Jr., 1 IBLA 56, 62 (1970), GFS(O&G) 2 (1970).

[18] 43 C.F.R. § 3107.5-3.  However, a lease in its extended terms dated prior to September 2, 1960 may be in an extended term for any reason and still be eligible for the two-year extension.

[19] 43 C.F.R. § 3107.9-1.

[20] 30 U.S.C. § 226(m).

[21] Yates Petroleum Corp., 67 IBLA 246, 252-53, GFS (O&G) 251 (1982).  A “unit paying well” sufficient to justify the formation of a participating area requires sufficient production to repay not only the operating costs, but also the costs of drilling and completing the well with a reasonable profit.  43 C.F.R. § 3186.1.

[22] 43 C.F.R. § 3107.3-2.

[23] 43 C.F.R. § 3107.4.  If only a portion of the leased lands in a federal lease committed to a unit are eliminated, the lease is not segregated and there is no extension, but the all of the leased lands will continue in effect for so long as any of the leased lands remain committed to the unit.  Continental Oil Co., 70 I.D. 473, 474, GFS(O&G) 50-1964-19 (1963).

[24] 43 C.F.R. § 3183.4(b).

[25] Celsius Energy Co., Southland Royalty Co., 99 IBLA 53, GFS(O&G) 82 (1987).

[26] Id.

[27] 43 C.F.R. § 3105.2-3.

[28] 30 U.S.C. § 226(m); 43 C.F.R. § 3107.2-3.

[29] 43 C.F.R. § 3107.1.

[30] 43 C.F.R. § 3105.2-3(a).

[31] 43 C.F.R. § 3107.4.

[32] 43 C.F.R. § 3103.4-4(b).

[33] 30 U.S.C. § 209; 43 C.F.R. § 3103.4-4(a).

[34] See Savoy Energy, L.P., 178 IBLA 313, 323, GFS(O&G) 1 (2010).

[35] 30 U.S.C. § 226(i); 43 C.F.R. § 3103.4-4(a).

[36] See Savoy Energy, L.P., supra, at 325.

But My Husband (or Wife) Doesn’t Need to Sign: Spousal Joinder Issues

When obtaining an oil and gas lease from an individual mineral owner, it is a common practice for landmen to obtain a signature on the lease not only from the record title owner but also from that person’s spouse. That is done for good reason. Given the various legal principles that may require spousal joinder – such as community property rights and homestead laws as discussed in this article – obtaining spousal joinder on a lease often is required, and is a very good precaution even in situations where it may not be required.1

Obviously, a lease isn’t the only place where spousal joinder issues crop up. The chain of title to mineral property may include a number of deeds that were executed by individuals who held record title at the time and that were not executed by the spouses, if any, of such persons. Often there is nothing in the abstract confirming whether or not the grantor was married at the time a deed was executed. When it comes to conveyances that were executed in the past, a landman doesn’t readily have the ability to cause the grantor’s spouse to execute the deed and thereby eliminate the risk that a required spousal joinder was not obtained. So when is joinder in a conveyance by the non-record title owning spouse required?

For land in a community property state, any conveyance by a married individual without joinder of that person’s spouse raises the issue of whether any potential community property interest of a non-record title owner spouse was conveyed, or even whether the conveyance by the spouse owning record title was valid. Of the western states, Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington are community property states. Statutes in several of those states specifically require joinder of a husband and wife in execution of a conveyance of community property.2 Generally speaking, when a married individual living in a community property state acquires mineral rights or other real property interests in that state using funds generated by the joint effort of both spouses, the property is community property. Both spouses have an equal, presently vested interest in such real property. On the other hand, real property interests acquired by either spouse before marriage or after entry of decree of dissolution of marriage, and real property acquired by either spouse by gift, bequest, devise or descent, is separate property. The issue of what constitutes community property or quasi-community property is state specific and fact specific and is beyond the scope of this article.

Community property issues can’t be ignored entirely with respect to real property in common law jurisdictions either. A number of western states, including Colorado,3 Montana,4 Utah5 and Wyoming,6 have adopted the Uniform Disposition of Community Property Rights at Death Act. Under these statutes, the community property rights of a surviving spouse that resided in a community property state are recognized as to real property located in the applicable common law state. If both spouses are living, these statutes are not a concern. However, execution by a non-record title owing spouse is needed when conveying real property in the common law state that was owned by a deceased resident of a community property state, except as to real property that is separate property under the laws of the community property state.7 The statutes do protect purchasers for value from a personal representative, heir or devisee of the record title holder that has apparent title to the property against claims of the surviving spouse.

Other spousal joinder requirements arise out of state laws requiring that both spouses must join in instruments affecting real property when the land is a homestead. In Montana,8 Nevada,9 South Dakota10 and Utah,11 homesteads are created by a filing or a declaration in accordance with the applicable state statute, and spousal joinder is required to convey or encumber homesteads of married persons so created.12 In other states such as Nebraska,13 New Mexico,14 North Dakota,15 and Wyoming,16 a homestead right can arise without the filing of a homestead certificate. In Colorado, homesteads created automatically under the statutory provisions can be conveyed or encumbered free and clear of homestead rights by the record owner alone, but if the owner and spouse file a homestead declaration, the signature of both spouses is required to convey or encumber the property.17

In states where a homestead filing is required, if the title data is sufficient to determine that there was no homestead filing, a landman or title examiner can conclude that no spousal joinder was required in a conveyance. In jurisdictions where a homestead can be created without filing, spousal joinder generally should be obtained due to the difficulty of determining whether the land falls within the statutory definition of a homestead such that spousal joinder is required.18 However, given the provisions of the various homestead statutes, an out of state owner or the owner of a severed mineral interest would not be in a position to assert a homestead claim. As a result, the lack of joinder by the spouse of the record owner on a deed conveying such an interest would not be a title defect unless spousal joinder was needed for reasons other than the homestead statute.

In addition to the statutes discussed above, most states have adopted probate laws which guarantee that a surviving spouse will receive a fraction of the total value of the spouse’s estate. These statutes also permit the surviving spouse to attack certain conveyances made prior to death if the reduced estate and other assets are not there to satisfy the survivor’s share. The most common form of forced share provision is the augmented estate provision of the Uniform Probate Code (UPC). In order to protect the surviving spouse against transfers made before death, the effect of which is to reduce the estate and therefore the statutory guaranteed share, the UPC allows augmenting the estate to include certain property dispositions made by the decedent alone during a specified period (usually two years) before death. The augmented estate provisions of the UPC have been adopted in various forms in Colorado,19 Montana,20 Nebraska,21 North Dakota22 and Utah.23 These statutes are relevant only as to conveyances that were made by a married record owner without spousal joinder during the specified period before his or her death, when the issue has not been rendered moot by subsequent probate or intestacy proceedings which clarify that the surviving spouse did not elect to take under the augmented estate provisions.

As the discussion above indicates, there is no simple, across-the-board answer to the question of when spousal joinder is required in a conveyance. Whether the lack of spousal joinder in a deed in the chain of title resulted in an outstanding interest that was not conveyed may depend on facts not available in an abstract examined. Clearly one needs to understand the statutes and case law of the applicable state as the starting point in making that determination.


1If an individual executes a lease alone, the lessee frequently includes a recital stating the reason given by the lessor as to why joinder by a spouse was not needed. For example, the lease may recite that the lessor is a single person, or is a widow or widower. When the spouse of a record owner who is married does not sign a lease, the lease may recite that the lessor is dealing with his or her separate property. Inclusion of self-serving recitals such as these may make a company more comfortable in accepting a lease that has not been executed by the record owner’s spouse, but there is a risk in relying on such recitals without further confirmation since they are not proof of the facts stated. The “facts” recited may be incorrect. At most, they qualify the recited facts as prima facie evidence or create a rebuttable presumption that they are true. See, e.g., Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-35-107 (recitals instruments recorded for 20 years are prima facie evidence of facts recited therein); S.D. Codified Laws § 43-28-19 (recitals are prima facia evidence on questions of marital status, homestead and identity when recorded); N.D. Title Standards 2-03 (permits reliance upon a recitation of single status, including widow or widower, if no evidence of marriage appears in the record).
2Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 33-452; Ida. Code § 32-912; N.M. Stat. Ann. § 40-3-13 (also applies to leases if the initial term, together with any option or extension, exceeds 5 years, or if the term is indefinite); and Rev. Code Wash. Ann. § 26.16.030(3). Under New Mexico law, for example, if a spouse fails to join in the conveyance, mortgage, assignment, or lease of community property, the instrument is void and of no effect, unless ratified by the spouse in writing. N.M. Stat. Ann. § 40-3-13; Hannah v. Tennant, 589 P.2d 1035 (N.M. 1979). In fact, an instrument purporting to convey a community property interest that is signed by only one of the spouses may not even be effective as to the spouse who signed the instrument. Either the joining or non-joining spouse can subsequently assert a claim that the conveyance was void. See Marquez v. Marquez, 513 P.2d 713 (N.M. 1973); McGrail v. Fields, 203 P.2d 1000 (N.M. 1949).
3Colo. Rev. Stat. § 15-20-101 et seq.
4Mont. Code Ann. § 72-9-101 et seq.
5Utah Code Ann. § 75-2b-101 et seq.
6Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 2-7-720 et seq.
7The statutes list rebuttable presumptions relating to community property and separate property.
8Mont. Code Ann. § 70-32-105.
9Nev. Rev. Stat. § 115.020.
10S.D. Codified Laws § 43-31-8.
11Utah Code Ann. § 78B-5-504.
12See Mont. Code Ann. § 70-32-301; Nev. Rev. Stat. § 115.040; S.D. Codified Laws § 43-31-17; Utah Code Ann. § 78B-5-504(4).
13Neb. Rev. Stat. § 40-104.
14N.M. Stat. Ann. § 42-10-9.
15While N.D. Cent. Code §§ 47-18-19 through 20 provide for execution and recording of a homestead declaration, N.D. Cent. Code § 47-18-17 provides that failure to make such a declaration shall not impair the homestead right.
16Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 34-2-121 (in addition to spousal joinder, requires language stating: “Hereby releasing and waiving all rights under and by virtue of the homestead exemption laws of this state” to convey or encumber homestead). Under Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 34-8-101 et seq., a defective deed is cured by operation of law after it has been of record for 10 years, however. 17Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-41-202.
18As noted above, homesteads created automatically in Colorado are the exception since the record owner alone can convey or encumber the property.
19Colo. Rev. Stat. § 15-11-201 et seq.
20Mont. Code Ann. § 72-2-222.
21Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 30-2313 – 2314 (period extended to 3 years).
22N.D. Cent. Code § 30.1-05-01.
23Utah Code Ann. § 75-1-201 et seq.