Printable Format55-701. Waste of natural gas prohibited. The production of natural gas in the state of Kansas in such manner and under such conditions and for such purposes as to constitute waste is hereby prohibited.
History: L. 1935, ch. 213, § 1; L. 1945, ch. 233, § 1; March 24.
Law Review and Bar Journal References:
1963-65 survey of administrative law, Kenton C. Granger, 14 K.L.R. 149, 150 (1965).
K.C.C.'s power hereunder with respect to compulsory pooling and unitization discussed, James M. Whittier, 15 K.L.R. 307, 321 (1967).
"Developing the Unexplored Deep Horizons Act," Terry Torline, 26 W.L.J. 471, 491 (1987).
"Sustaining the Unsustainable: Oil and Gas Development in the 21 st Century," David E. Pierce, 23 Kan. J. L. & Pub. Pol'y, No. 3, 362 (Spring 2014).
CASE ANNOTATIONS
1. Dominant purpose of statute is to prohibit waste in production or purpose of production; commission may fix minimum well-head price for gas. Kansas-Nebraska Natural Gas Co. v. State Corporation Commission, 169 Kan. 722, 723, 726, 727, 730, 731, 732, 735, 222 P.2d 704. Rehearing denied: 170 Kan. 341, 225 P.2d 1054.
2. Corporation commission's order refusing to reinstate canceled underages legal and reasonable. Republic Natural Gas Co. v. State Corporation Commission, 173 Kan. 172, 173, 244 P.2d 1196.
3. State not federal law applicable; order fixing price at wellhead upheld. Cities Service Gas Co. v. State Corporation Commission, 180 Kan. 454, 456, 460, 304 P.2d 528.
4. Special proration order conflicting with basic proration order is erroneous and unlawful. Stevens v. State Corporation Commission, 185 Kan. 190, 191, 192, 200, 341 P.2d 1021; Day v. State Corporation Commission, 185 Kan. 165, 341 P.2d 1048; Matzen v. State Corporation Commission, 185 Kan. 206, 341 P.2d 1031. Modified in denying rehearing: 185 Kan. 404, 345 P.2d 630.
5. Commission's basic order did not have effect of unitizing royalty interests. Republic Natural Gas Co. v. Baker, 197 F.2d 647, 648.
6. Main emphasis of act is the prohibition of the waste of natural gas. Colorado Interstate Gas Co. v. State Corporation Comm., 192 Kan. 1, 2, 6, 386 P.2d 266. Certiorari denied: 13 L. Ed. 2d 333.
7. Commission has jurisdiction under act to include a 4 / 7 mineral interest in a unit; does not constitute forced unitization of remaining interest. Mobil Oil Corp. v. Kansas Corporation Commission, 227 Kan. 594, 595, 600, 604, 608, 611, 612, 608 P.2d 1325.
8. Cited; fracture treatment as consideration in formulating oil and gas proration examined. Zinke & Trumbo, Ltd. v. Kansas Corporation Comm'n, 242 Kan. 470, 473, 479, 749 P.2d 21 (1988).
9. Cited; KCC order amending basic proration order for Kansas Hugoton gas field to allow infill drilling examined. Southwest Kan. Royalty Owners Ass'n v. Kansas Corporation Comm'n, 244 Kan. 157, 166, 769 P.2d 1 (1989).
10. Regulations adopted governing timing of natural gas production violates neither Supremacy or Commerce clause. N.W. Cent. Pipeline v. State Corp. Com'n of Kansas, 109 S. Ct. 1262, 1268, 1282 (1989).