For the purposes of sections 38-08-09.1 through 38-08-09.16, unless the context otherwise requires:

Terms Used In North Dakota Code 38-08-09.13

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Individual: means a human being. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49

1.    “Lessee” refers not only to lessees under oil and gas leases but also includes owners of unleased mineral rights having the right to develop the same for oil and gas to the extent of a seven-eighths interest.

2.    “Oil and gas” refers not only to oil and gas as such in combination one with the other, but shall have general reference to oil, gas, casinghead gas, casinghead gasoline, gas-distillate, or other hydrocarbons, or any combination or combinations thereof, which may be found in or produced from a common source of supply of oil, oil and gas, or gas-distillate.

3.    “Person” means and includes any individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, common-law or statutory trust, association of any kind, the state of North Dakota, or any subdivision or agency thereof acting in a proprietary capacity, guardian, executor, administrator, fiduciary of any kind, or any other entity or being capable of owning an interest in and to a unit source of supply of oil and gas.

4.    “Unit expense” includes and means any and all cost and expense in the conduct and management of its affairs or the operations carried on by it.

5.    Any reference to a separately owned tract, although in general terms broad enough to include the surface and all underlying common sources of supply of oil and gas, shall have reference thereto only in relation to the unit source of supply or portion thereof embraced within the unit area of a particular unit.