It is hereby specifically provided that all leases for prospecting for, producing, and marketing oil and gas, geothermal resources, bentonite, and gypsum, shall be, and for feldspar, mica, coal, and all other minerals or combinations thereof, may be, issued after advertising and sale at public auction to the highest bidder. The public auction may be an electronic event that is advertised and made available to the public via the internet. The sale of sand, gravel, rock, stone, clay, shale, and lake sediment are specifically exempted from the provisions of this section.

Source: SL 1953, ch 72, § 2; SL 1955, ch 47, § 1; SDC Supp 1960, § 15.0517; SL 1980, ch 40, § 2; SL 1980, ch 42, § 1; SL 1998, ch 30, § 1; SL 2019, ch 46, § 1.