The Commissioners of the Land Office are authorized to lease for oil and gas purposes any of the school or other lands owned by the State of Oklahoma, which such Commissioners may deem valuable for oil and gas. Each such lease shall be a commence-type lease and shall provide for a term not less than one year and not to exceed five (5) years and as long thereafter as oil or gas may be produced therefrom in paying quantities, upon such terms and conditions and in such quantities as the Commissioners shall by rules and regulations prescribe. Each such lease shall provide for the delivery to the state of a royalty of not less than one-eighth (1/8) part of the oil or gas produced from the leased premises or in lieu thereof the payment to the state of the market value of said royalty interest, as the Commissioners may elect. The leases shall be offered by public competition after notice of the lease auction published one time not less than thirty (30) days prior to the lease auction date in two newspapers authorized by law to publish legal notices. One of the newspapers shall be published in the county where the land is located or other newspaper as authorized by Section 106 of Title 25 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The other shall be a newspaper of general circulation in this state. Such leasing shall be let by sealed bids and each lease awarded to the highest responsible bidder, such oil and gas leases may be assigned only with the consent and approval of the Commissioners of the Land Office; provided, the Commissioners have the right to reject any and all bids. The Commissioners of the Land Office shall provide any other notice of oil and gas lease sales to all interested parties by any means it determines is needed to attract the best competition.
Added by Laws 1917, c. 253, p. 462, § 1. Amended by Laws 1968, c. 243, § 1, emerg. eff. April 24, 1968; Laws 1981, c. 54, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 1981; Laws 2003, c. 205, § 2, eff. July 1, 2003. Renumbered from § 281 of this title by Laws 2010, c. 41, § 115, emerg. eff. April 2, 2010.