77-3-411. Notice of lease sale required. (1) Within 15 days of the previous oil and gas lease sale, the department shall publish the date and place of the upcoming sale in a publication of general circulation in Montana and on the department's website.
(2) (a) The department shall accept nominations of tracts for an upcoming sale until 77 days prior to the date of the sale.
(b) Upon receipt of a nomination by the department, the location of the tracts is public information.
(3) At least twice, the department shall publish a notice containing the time and place of the sale, a statement that all sales will be by competitive bidding, and the number of tracts in each county offered for sale at the time of the notice on the department's website and in a publication of general circulation in Montana:
(a) not less than 63 days before the date of an upcoming sale; and
(b) between 21 days and 35 days before the date of the sale.
(4) In a publication of general circulation in each county where a tract is nominated for sale, the department shall publish a notice in compliance with subsection (3), except that each notice needs to contain only the number of tracts nominated for sale in that county and notice that a description and maps of tracts nominated are available on the department's website.
(5) The department shall publish on its website a description and maps of all tracts to be offered for sale.
(6) (a) Except as provided in subsection (6)(b), the department shall provide notice by first-class mail to surface owners of a tract being offered for sale using the most current known property owners of record as shown in the records of the county clerk and recorder of the county where the tract is located.
(b) The notice in subsection (6)(a) is not required if the surface is managed by the department pursuant to Title 77, chapter 1.
(7) The notice required by subsection (6) must contain the time and place of the sale, a statement that all sales will be by competitive bidding, and a description and area map of each tract offered for sale.
History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 432, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 206, L. 2019.
Structure Montana Code Annotated
Chapter 3. Rock, Mineral, Coal, Oil, and Gas Resources
77-3-401. Oil and gas leases authorized
77-3-403. Hearings on questions related to leases
77-3-404. Limitation on area under single lease
77-3-405. Leased lands to be generally compact and contiguous
77-3-406. Number of leases which one person may hold
77-3-407. New leases on lands leased prior to February 28, 1953
77-3-408. Certain state officers not to be interested in leases
77-3-409. Misconduct of officers in relation to oil and gas leases
77-3-410. False statements relating to oil and gas leases
77-3-411. Notice of lease sale required
77-3-412. through 77-3-420 reserved
77-3-422. Lease extension clause
77-3-426. Lessee to prevent waste
77-3-427. Provision for offset wells -- compensatory royalties
77-3-428. Additional development following completion of productive well
77-3-429. Operating agreements
77-3-430. Pooling agreements and unit operations
77-3-434. Manner of making royalty payment
77-3-435. Payments due to state -- audit -- notice -- action
77-3-436. Disposition of royalties and other money
77-3-437. Amendment of existing leases
77-3-438. Assignments of leases
77-3-440. Forfeiture and cancellation of leases
77-3-441. Restriction on new lease following termination of old lease
77-3-442. Disposition of property of lessee upon termination of lease
77-3-443. Reservation in lease for disposition of surface
77-3-444. Limitation on overriding royalties and payments out of production