Oregon Statutes 520.230 – Approved agreement for cooperative or unit development of pool not to be construed as violating certain regulatory laws
(1) An agreement for the unit or cooperative development and operation of a field or pool in connection with the conduct of repressuring or pressure maintenance operations, cycling or recycling operations, including the extraction and separation of liquid hydrocarbons from natural gas in connection therewith, or any other method of operation, including water floods, is authorized and may be performed and shall not be held or construed to violate ORS § 59.005 to 59.505, 59.710 to 59.830, 59.991 and 59.995 or any of the statutes of this state relative to trusts, monopolies or contracts and combinations in restraint of trade, if such agreement is approved by the governing board of the State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries as being in the public interest, for the protection of correlative rights and reasonably necessary to increase ultimate recovery or prevent waste of oil or gas. The failure to submit such an agreement to the board for approval does not, for that reason, imply or constitute evidence that the agreement or operations conducted pursuant thereto violate ORS § 59.005 to 59.505, 59.710 to 59.830, 59.991 and 59.995 or any statute of this state now or hereafter in effect relating to trusts and monopolies.
Terms Used In Oregon Statutes 520.230
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Field: means the general area underlaid by one or more pools. See Oregon Statutes 520.005
- Gas: means all natural gas and all other fluid hydrocarbons not defined as oil in subsection (5) of this section, including condensate originally in the gaseous phase in the reservoir. See Oregon Statutes 520.005
- Oil: means crude petroleum oil and all other hydrocarbons, regardless of gravity, that are produced in liquid form by ordinary production methods, but does not include liquid hydrocarbons that were originally in a gaseous phase in the reservoir. See Oregon Statutes 520.005
- Pool: means an underground reservoir containing a common accumulation of oil and natural gas. See Oregon Statutes 520.005
- Protect correlative rights: means that the action or regulation by the board affords a reasonable opportunity to each person entitled thereto to recover or receive the oil or gas in the tract or tracts of the person or the equivalent thereof, without being required to drill unnecessary wells or to incur other unnecessary expense to recover or receive such oil or gas or its equivalent. See Oregon Statutes 520.005
- Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
- Violate: includes failure to comply. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
(2) An agreement for the unit or cooperative development or operation of a field, pool or part thereof may be submitted to the board for approval as being in the public interest or reasonably necessary to prevent waste or protect correlative rights. Approval by the board constitutes a complete defense to any proceeding charging violation of ORS § 59.005 to 59.505, 59.710 to 59.830, 59.991 and 59.995 or of any statute of this state now or hereafter in effect relating to trusts and monopolies on account thereof or on account of operations conducted pursuant thereto. The failure to submit such an agreement to the board for approval does not, for that reason, imply or constitute evidence that the agreement or operations conducted pursuant thereto violate ORS § 59.005 to 59.505, 59.710 to 59.830, 59.991 and 59.995 or any statute of this state now or hereafter in effect relating to trusts and monopolies. [Formerly 520.085; subsection (2) enacted as 1961 c.671 § 13; 1963 c.69 § 1]