Title 30, Mineral Lands and MiningRelease 119-102

§104 Agreements with Applicants for Patents as to Disposition of Oil or Gas, or Proceeds Thereof, Pending Determination of Title; Navy Petroleum Fund

Title 30 › CHAPTER 3 — LANDS CONTAINING COAL, OIL, GAS, SALTS, ASPHALTIC MATERIALS, SODIUM, SULPHUR, AND BUILDING STONE › SUBCHAPTER III — PETROLEUM, OTHER MINERAL OIL, OR GAS LAND ENTRIES UNDER MINING LAWS › § 104

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior can make deals with people applying for patents who already have possession of withdrawn oil or gas land where oil or gas was found or was being produced before March 2, 1911, or where drilling was actually underway on October 3, 1910, and oil or gas is later found. Those deals can set how the oil, gas, or the money from them will be handled while the Secretary finishes deciding who owns the land. Any money the United States gets under sections 103 and 104 from lands in the Naval Petroleum Reserves must be put into the Treasury as the Navy Petroleum Fund and used for Navy needs as Congress directs.

Full Legal Text

Title 30, §104

Mineral Lands and Mining, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Where applications for patents have been or may be offered for any oil or gas land included in an order of withdrawal upon which oil or gas had been discovered, or was being produced prior to March 2, 1911, or upon which drilling operations were in actual progress on October 3, 1910, and oil or gas is thereafter discovered thereon, and where there has been no final determination by the Secretary of the Interior upon such applications for patent, said Secretary, in his discretion, may enter into agreements, under such conditions as he may prescribe with such applicants for patents in possession of such land or any portions thereof, relative to the disposition of the oil or gas produced therefrom or the proceeds thereof, pending final determination of the title thereto by the Secretary of the Interior, or such other disposition of the same as may be authorized by law. Any money which may accrue to the United States under the provisions of section 103 and 104 of this title from lands within the Naval Petroleum Reserves shall be set aside for the needs of the Navy and deposited in the Treasury to the credit of a fund to be known as the Navy Petroleum Fund, which fund shall be applied to the needs of the Navy as Congress may from time to time direct, by appropriation or otherwise.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

30 U.S.C. § 104

Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102