Whenever any person is injured or threatened with injury by neglect to comply with the provisions of § 15-72-217, it shall be lawful for that person, after notice to the owner, lessee, or caretaker of the premises upon which the well is located, to:
(1) Enter upon the premises;
(2) Fill and plug the well in the manner provided in § 15-72-217; and
(3) Recover the expense thereof from the person, whose duty it was to fill up or plug the well in like manner. Debts of such amounts are recoverable, and the person shall have a lien upon the fixtures, machinery, and leasehold interest of the owner or operator of the well for all sums expended in filling and plugging the well, and for the costs of the suit, including a reasonable attorney's fee, to be fixed by the court.
Structure Arkansas Code
Title 15 - Natural Resources and Economic Development
Subtitle 6 - Oil, Gas, and Brine
Chapter 72 - Oil and Gas Production and Conservation
Subchapter 2 - Wells and Drilling Generally
§ 15-72-202. Penalties for violation of certain sections
§ 15-72-203. Prerequisite to exploring or drilling — Notice to surface owner — Definition
§ 15-72-204. Prerequisite for drilling permit — Operator's proof of financial responsibility
§ 15-72-205. Notice of intent to drill — Permit and fee
§ 15-72-206. Casing oil or gas wells — Keeping sands separate
§ 15-72-207. Log requirements generally
§ 15-72-208. Proper confinement of gas by possessor of well
§ 15-72-209. Right of others to confine gas
§ 15-72-210. Gas leaks in pipelines, machinery, etc
§ 15-72-212. Failure to control wild wells
§ 15-72-213. Surface owner's lien for damages caused by operator neglect
§ 15-72-214. Surface owner's claim for damages caused by operator neglect
§ 15-72-216. Requirement that dry or abandoned wells be plugged — Notice of abandonment
§ 15-72-217. Plugging dry or abandoned well by lessee or operator
§ 15-72-218. Plugging dry or abandoned well by another
§ 15-72-219. Compensation of surface owners and surface tenants for damages — Restoration of land