Oregon Statutes 520.350 – Property rights in underground reservoirs for natural gas storage
(1) All natural gas in an underground reservoir utilized for underground storage, whether acquired by eminent domain or otherwise, shall at all times be the property of the natural gas company utilizing said underground storage, its heirs, successors, or assigns. In no event shall such gas be subject to the rights of the owner of the surface of the land under which said underground reservoir lies or of the owner of any mineral interest therein or of any person other than said natural gas company, its heirs, successors and assigns to release, produce, take, reduce to possessions, or otherwise interfere with or exercise any control thereof.
Terms Used In Oregon Statutes 520.350
- 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
- Owner: means a person who has the right to drill into and to produce from any pool and to appropriate the oil or gas produced therefrom either for others, for the person or for the person and others. See Oregon Statutes 520.005
- Person: means any natural person, partnership, corporation, association, receiver, guardian, fiduciary, administrator, representative of any kind, or the State of Oregon and any public body as defined in ORS § 174. See Oregon Statutes 520.005
- Underground reservoir: means any subsurface sand, strata, formation, aquifer, cavern or void whether natural or artificially created, suitable for the injection and storage of natural gas therein and the withdrawal of natural gas therefrom, but excluding a pool. See Oregon Statutes 520.005
- Underground storage: means the process of injecting and storing natural gas within and withdrawing natural gas from an underground reservoir. See Oregon Statutes 520.005
(2) Any right of condemnation granted for the purposes of ORS § 520.340, 772.610 to 772.625 and this section shall be without prejudice to the rights of the owner of the condemned lands or of the rights and interest therein to drill or bore through the underground reservoir in such a manner as shall protect the underground reservoir against pollution and against the escape of natural gas in a manner which complies with the orders and rules of the State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries. Such condemnation shall be without prejudice to the owners of such lands or other rights or interests therein as to all other uses thereof. The additional costs of complying with rules or orders to protect the underground shall be paid by the condemnor. [1977 c.296 § 6]
[Repealed by 1953 c.667 § 21]
PENALTIES