Mineral Leasing Act, 30 U.S.C. 181

30 USC 181: Lands subject to disposition; persons entitled to benefits; reciprocal privileges; helium rights
reserved
Text contains those laws in effect on March 28, 2023
From Title 30-MINERAL LANDS AND MINING
CHAPTER 3A-LEASES AND PROSPECTING PERMITS
SUBCHAPTER I-GENERAL PROVISIONS
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Miscellaneous
References In Text
Amendments
Short Title
Savings Provision

§181. Lands subject to disposition; persons entitled to benefits; reciprocal
privileges; helium rights reserved
Deposits of coal, phosphate, sodium, potassium, oil, oil shale, gilsonite (including all vein-type solid hydrocarbons),
or gas, and lands containing such deposits owned by the United States, including those in national forests, but
excluding lands acquired under the Appalachian Forest Act, approved March 1, 1911 (36 Stat. 961), and those in
incorporated cities, towns, and villages and in national parks and monuments, those acquired under other Acts
subsequent to February 25, 1920, and lands within the naval petroleum and oil-shale reserves, except as hereinafter
provided, shall be subject to disposition in the form and manner provided by this chapter to citizens of the United
States, or to associations of such citizens, or to any corporation organized under the laws of the United States, or of
any State or Territory thereof, or in the case of coal, oil, oil shale, or gas, to municipalities. Citizens of another country,
the laws, customs, or regulations of which deny similar or like privileges to citizens or corporations of this country, shall
not by stock ownership, stock holding, or stock control, own any interest in any lease acquired under the provisions of
this chapter.
The term "oil" shall embrace all nongaseous hydrocarbon substances other than those substances leasable as coal,
oil shale, or gilsonite (including all vein-type solid hydrocarbons).
The term "combined hydrocarbon lease" shall refer to a lease issued in a special tar sand area pursuant to section
226 of this title after November 16, 1981.
The term "special tar sand area" means (1) an area designated by the Secretary of the Interior's orders of November
20, 1980 (45 FR 76800–76801) and January 21, 1981 (46 FR 6077–6078) as containing substantial deposits of tar
sand.
The United States reserves the ownership of and the right to extract helium from all gas produced from lands leased
or otherwise granted under the provisions of this chapter, under such rules and regulations as shall be prescribed by
the Secretary of the Interior: Provided further, That in the extraction of helium from gas produced from such lands it
shall be so extracted as to cause no substantial delay in the delivery of gas produced from the well to the purchaser
thereof, and that extraction of helium from gas produced from such lands shall maintain the lease as if the extracted
helium were oil and gas.
(Feb. 25, 1920, ch. 85, §1, 41 Stat. 437 ; Feb. 7, 1927, ch. 66, §5, 44 Stat. 1058 ; Aug. 8, 1946, ch. 916, §1, 60 Stat.
950 ; Pub. L. 86–705, §7(a), Sept. 2, 1960, 74 Stat. 790 ; Pub. L. 97–78, §1(1), (4), Nov. 16, 1981, 95 Stat. 1070 ; Pub.
L. 116–9, title I, §1109, Mar. 12, 2019, 133 Stat. 610 .)
Editorial Notes

References in Text
The Appalachian Forest Act, referred to in the first undesignated paragraph, is act Mar. 1, 1911, ch.
186, 36 Stat. 961 , also popularly known as the Weeks Law, which enacted former sections 513 and 514
and sections 515 to 519, 521, 552, and 563 of Title 16, Conservation, and amended sections 480 and 500 of Title
16. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 552 of Title
16 and Tables.

Amendments
2019-Pub. L. 116–9 inserted ", and that extraction of helium from gas produced from such lands shall
maintain the lease as if the extracted helium were oil and gas" after "purchaser thereof" in last par.

1981-Pub. L. 97–78, in first par., substituted "gilsonite (including all vein-type solid hydrocarbons)," for
"native asphalt, solid and semisolid bitumen, and bituminous rock (including oil-impregnated rock or
sands from which oil is recoverable only by special treatment after the deposit is mined or quarried)", and
added, after first par. three paragraphs which defined "oil", "combined hydrocarbon lease", and "special
tar sand area", respectively.
1960-Pub. L. 86–705 included deposits of native asphalt, solid and semisolid bitumen, and bituminous
rock.
1946-Act Aug. 8, 1946, reenacted: existing par., less three provisos, as first sentence of first par.,
inserting "potassium" after "sodium", which was also included in the 1927 amendment, and substituting
provision for disposition of deposits "in incorporated cities, towns, and villages, and in national parks and
monuments, those acquired under other Acts subsequent to February 25, 1920, and lands within the
naval petroleum and oil-shale reserves" for such disposition "in national parks, and in lands withdrawn or
reserved for military or naval uses or purposes" and phrase "associations of such citizens" for "any
association of such persons"; former third proviso as second sentence of first par.; former first proviso, as
second par., inserting reservation of ownership provision and striking out "permitted" before "leased or
otherwise granted"; and former second proviso as proviso in second par.
1927-Act Feb. 7, 1927, included deposits of potassium.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title of 2000 Amendments
Pub. L. 106–463, §1, Nov. 7, 2000, 114 Stat. 2010 , provided that: "This Act [amending section 184 of this title
and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 184 of this title] may be cited as the 'Coal Market
Competition Act of 2000'."
Pub. L. 106–393, title V, §501, Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1624 , provided that: "This title [amending section
191 of this title and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 191 of this title] may be cited as the
'Mineral Revenue Payments Clarification Act of 2000'."

Short Title of 1987 Amendment
Pub. L. 100–203, title V, §5101(a), Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1330–256 , provided that: "This subtitle
[subtitle B (§§5101–5113) of Pub. L. 100–203, enacting sections 195 and 226–3 of this title, amending sections
187a, 187b, 188, 191, and 226 of this title and section 3148 of Title 16, Conservation, and enacting provisions
set out as notes under this section and section 226 of this title] may be cited as the 'Federal Onshore Oil
and Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1987'."

Short Title of 1981 Amendment
Pub. L. 97–78, Nov. 16, 1981, 95 Stat. 1070 , which amended this section and sections 182, 184, 209, 226,
241, 351, and 352 of this title and enacted provisions set out as a note under this section, is popularly known

as the "Combined Hydrocarbon Leasing Act of 1981".

Short Title of 1976 Amendment
Pub. L. 94–377, §1(a), Aug. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1083 , as amended by Pub. L. 95–554, §8, Oct. 30, 1978, 92
Stat. 2075 , provided that: "This Act [enacting sections 202a, 208–1, and 208–2 of this title, amending sections
184, 191, 201, 203, 207, 209, and 352 of this title, repealing sections 201–1 and 204 of this title, and enacting
provisions set out as notes under sections 184, 201, 201–1, 203, and 204 of this title] may be cited as the

'Federal Coal Leasing Amendments Act of 1976'."

Short Title of 1960 Amendment
Pub. L. 86–705, §1, Sept. 2, 1960, 74 Stat. 781 , provided: "That this Act [amending this section and
sections 182, 184, 187a, 226, 226–1, 226–2, and 241 of this title, and enacted provisions set out as notes under
sections 187a and 226 of this title] may be cited as the 'Mineral Leasing Act Revision of 1960'."

Short Title
Act Feb. 25, 1920, ch. 85, §44, as added Dec. 22, 1987, Pub. L. 100–203, title V, §5113, 101 Stat. 1330–
263 , provided that: "This Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the 'Mineral Leasing Act'."
This chapter is also popularly known as the "Mineral Leasing Act of 1920" and the "Mineral Lands
Leasing Act".

Savings Provision

Provisions of Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, Pub. L. 94–579, Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat.
2743 , not to be construed as permitting any person to place, or allow to be placed, spent oil shale, etc.,

on any Federal land other than land leased for the recovery of shale oil under the act of Feb. 25, 1920,
section 181 et seq. of this title, see section 701(d) of Pub. L. 94–579, set out as a note under section 1701 of
Title 43, Public Lands.
Act Aug. 8, 1946, ch. 916, §15, 60 Stat. 950 , provided: "No repeal or amendment made by this Act
[enacting sections 187a, 187b, 226c–226e, and 236b, amending this section and sections 184, 188, 193,
209, 225, 226, and 285, and repealing sections 223a, 226a, and 226b of this title] shall affect any right
acquired under the law as it existed prior to such repeal or amendment, and such right shall be governed
by the law in effect at the time of its acquisition; but any person holding a lease on the effective date of
this Act [Aug. 8, 1946] may, by filing a statement to that effect, elect to have his lease governed by the
applicable provisions of this Act instead of by the law in effect prior thereto."

Construction and Applicability of 1981 Amendments
Pub. L. 97–78, §1(10), (11), Nov. 16, 1981, 95 Stat. 1072 , provided that:

"(10) Nothing in this Act [see Short Title of 1981 Amendment note above] shall affect the taxable status
of production from tar sand under the Crude Oil Windfall Profit Tax Act of 1980 (Public Law 96–223) [see
Tables for classification], reduce the depletion allowance for production from tar sand, or otherwise affect
the existing tax status applicable to such production.
"(11) No provision of this Act [see Short Title of 1981 Amendment note above] shall apply to national
parks, national monuments, or other lands where mineral leasing is prohibited by law. The Secretary of
the Interior shall apply the provisions of this Act to the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and to any
other units of the national park system where mineral leasing is permitted, in accordance with any
applicable minerals management plan if the Secretary finds that there will be no resulting significant
adverse impacts on the administration of such area, or on other contiguous units of the national park
system."

Outer Continental Shelf; Mineral Leases
Grant by the Secretary of the Interior of mineral leases on submerged lands of outer Continental Shelf,
see section 1331 et seq., of Title 43, Public Lands.

Selection of Lands by Alaska
Selection of lands by Alaska from lands made available by Statehood provisions including lands
subject to leases, permits, licenses or contracts issued under this chapter, see section 6(h) of Pub. L. 85–
508, set out as note preceding section 21 of Title 48.
Executive Documents

Admission of Alaska as State: Selection of Lands
Admission of Alaska into the Union was accomplished Jan. 3, 1959, on issuance of Proc. No. 3269,
Jan. 3, 1959, 24 F.R. 81, 73 Stat. c16, as required by sections 1 and 8(c) of Pub. L. 85–508, July 7, 1958,
72 Stat. 339 , set out as notes preceding section 21 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions.