Kansas Statutes 55-177. Removal of structures and abutments from lands after abandoning wells; exception
Terms Used In Kansas Statutes 55-177
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
- 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.
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- Operator: means a person who is responsible for the physical operation and control of a well, gas gathering system or underground porosity storage of natural gas. See Kansas Statutes 55-150
- Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
- Person: means any natural person, partnership, governmental or political subdivision, firm, association, corporation or other legal entity. See Kansas Statutes 55-150
- Rig: means any crane machine used for drilling or plugging wells. See Kansas Statutes 55-150
- Well: means a hole or penetration of the surface of the earth, drilled or recompleted for the purpose of:
(1) Producing oil or gas;
(2) injecting fluid, air or gas in the ground in connection with the exploration for or production of oil or gas;
(3) obtaining geological information in connection with the exploration for or production of oil or gas by taking cores or through seismic operations;
(4) disposing of fluids produced in connection with the exploration for or production of oil or gas;
(5) providing cathodic protection to prevent corrosion to lines, tanks or structures; or
(6) injecting or withdrawing natural gas. See Kansas Statutes 55-150
(a) Leaving the surface of lands with a part of the operating structure or other equipment intact after abandoning oil or gas wells is against public policy, and constitutes a public nuisance, and shall be hereafter prohibited. Whenever any lease operator abandons any oil or gas well, the lease operator, within six months thereafter, shall remove any rig, derrick or other operating structure, and all abutments and other obstacles of every kind or size used in the operation of such oil or gas lease, from the land upon which the well was theretofore operated, and shall grade the surface of the soil in such manner as to leave the land, as nearly as practicable, in the same condition after the removal of such structures, equipment and obstacles as it was before such structures and abutments were placed thereon, unless the owner of the land and the abandoning party have entered into a contract providing otherwise.
(b) Any person, firm, association, partnership or corporation violating the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500.