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Title 30 — Mineral Lands and MiningRelease 119-73not60

§1020 Publication in Federal Register; Reservation of Mineral Rights

Title 30 › Chapter 23— GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES › § 1020

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Geothermal resources on land where the surface was sold but the minerals stayed with the United States must not be developed except by geothermal leases issued under this law. If the Secretary of the Interior finds development or production is about to happen, the Secretary must tell the Attorney General. The Attorney General must then file a case in the federal district court where the land is. The court can be asked to confirm that the United States owns the geothermal resources and can stop any production that is not done under this law. If a court finally decides that the federal mineral reservation did not include geothermal resources, the Secretary and Attorney General no longer have to make those reports or file those cases.

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 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60