Title 30 — Mineral Lands and MiningRelease 119-73
§1020 Publication in Federal Register; reservation of mineral rights
Title 30 › Chapter CHAPTER 23— - GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES › § 1020
Summary
Geothermal resources on land whose surface was sold but whose minerals stayed with the United States may be produced only under geothermal leases. If the Interior Secretary thinks development or production is about to start, the Secretary must tell the Attorney General. The Attorney General must sue in the federal district court to confirm U.S. ownership and stop production not covered by those leases. If a court rules the geothermal resources were not reserved, these duties end.
Full Legal Text
Title 30, §1020
Mineral Lands and Mining — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Geothermal resources in lands the surface of which has passed from Federal ownership but in which the minerals have been reserved to the United States shall not be developed or produced except under geothermal leases made pursuant to this chapter. If the Secretary of the Interior finds that such development is imminent, or that production from a well heretofore drilled on such lands is imminent, he shall so report to the Attorney General, and the Attorney General is authorized and directed to institute an appropriate proceeding in the United States district court of the district in which such lands are located, to quiet the title of the United States in such resources, and if the court determines that the reservation of minerals to the United States in the lands involved included the geothermal resources, to enjoin their production otherwise than under the terms of this chapter: Provided, That upon an authoritative judicial determination that Federal mineral reservation does not include geothermal resources the duties of the Secretary of the Interior to report and of the Attorney General to institute proceedings, as hereinbefore set forth, shall cease.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2005—Pub. L. 109–58 inserted section catchline, struck out “(b)” before “Geothermal”, substituted “does not include geothermal resources” for “does not include geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources”, and struck out subsec. (a) which read as follows: “Within one hundred and twenty days after
December 24, 1970, the Secretary shall cause to be published in the Federal Register a determination of all lands which were included within any known geothermal resources area on
December 24, 1970. He shall likewise publish in the Federal Register from time to time his determination of other known geothermal resources areas specifying in each case the date the lands were included in such area; and”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
30 U.S.C. § 1020
Title 30 — Mineral Lands and Mining
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73