North Dakota § 38-11.2-01 Definitions

North Dakota Statutes

§ 38-11.2-01 — Definitions

North Dakota § 38-11.2-01

Title 38Mining and Gas and Oil Production

Ch. 38-11.2Subsurface Exploration Damages

This text of North Dakota § 38-11.2-01 (Definitions) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

N.D. Cent. Code § 38-11.2-01 (2026).

Text

In this chapter, unless the context or subject matter otherwise requires:

1."Agricultural production" means the production of any grass or crop attached to the surface of the land, whether or not the grass or crop is to be sold commercially, and the production of any farm animals, whether or not the animals are to be sold commercially.

2."Drilling operations" means the drilling of a subsurface mineral extraction well and the injection, production, and completion operations ensuing from the drilling which require entry upon the surface estate, and includes subsurface mineral exploration activities.

3."Mineral developer" means the person who acquires the mineral estate or lease for the purpose of extracting or using the subsurface minerals for nonagricultural purposes.

4."Mineral estate"

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In this chapter, unless the context or subject matter otherwise requires:
1. "Agricultural production" means the production of any grass or crop attached to the
surface of the land, whether or not the grass or crop is to be sold commercially, and
the production of any farm animals, whether or not the animals are to be sold
commercially.
2. "Drilling operations" means the drilling of a subsurface mineral extraction well and the
injection, production, and completion operations ensuing from the drilling which require
entry upon the surface estate, and includes subsurface mineral exploration activities.
3. "Mineral developer" means the person who acquires the mineral estate or lease for the
purpose of extracting or using the subsurface minerals for nonagricultural purposes.
4. "Mineral estate" means an estate in or ownership of all or part of the subsurface
minerals underlying a specified tract of land.
5. "Subsurface mineral" means any naturally occurring element or compound recovered
under the provisions of chapter 38-12, but for the purpose of this chapter excludes
coal, commercial leonardite, oil and gas, sand and gravel, and rocks crushed for sand
and gravel.
6. "Subsurface mineral exploration activities" means any method of obtaining information
relative to locating and defining subsurface minerals that results in surface
disturbance.
7. "Surface estate" means an estate in or ownership of the surface of a particular tract of
land.
8. "Surface owner" means any person who holds record title to the surface of the land as
an owner.