ENERGY: Provides relative to nonconsenting mineral interest owners within a carbon dioxide storage unit (OR SEE FISC NOTE GF RV)

HLS 26RS-300 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 500
BY REPRESENTATIVES MCCORMICK, OWEN, AND SCHAMERHORN
ENERGY: Provides relative to nonconsenting mineral interest owners within a carbon
dioxide storage unit
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 30:1104.2(I), relative to mineral interests within a carbon
3 dioxide sequestration unit; to provide for reimbursement to mineral owners for
4 additional costs incurred to drill through the unit; to provide for compensation to
5 mineral owners; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 30:1104.2(I) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
8 §1104.2. Unitization
9 * * *
10 I.(1) Except as provided in R.S. 30:1108(B)(2), nothing in this Section shall
11 prevent persons having the right to do so from drilling through the storage unit in
12 such manner as shall comply with the rules of the commissioner secretary issued for
13 the purpose of protecting the storage unit or an associated storage facility against
14 pollution or invasion and against the escape or migration of carbon dioxide.
15 (2) Any nonconsenting mineral interest owner who is prevented from
16 exploring for or producing minerals due to the presence of a storage unit shall be
17 compensated by the unit operator for the value of the minerals located beneath the
18 unit that the mineral interest owner would otherwise be able to explore for and
19 produce.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-300 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 500
1 (3) Any nonconsenting mineral interest owner permitted to drill through a
2 unit to explore for and produce minerals shall be reimbursed by the unit operator for
3 any additional material costs incurred to drill through the unit in compliance with
4 department requirements.
5 * * *
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 500 Original 2026 Regular Session McCormick
Abstract: Requires carbon capture storage unit operators to compensate nonconsenting
mineral owners within a unit for the value of stranded minerals or reimburse them
for the additional costs required by the Dept. of Conservation and Energy to drill
through the unit.
Present law provides that the formation of a carbon dioxide storage unit does not prevent
mineral interest owners from drilling through the storage unit if the drilling complies with
rules established by the Dept. of Conservation and Energy.
Proposed law retains present law and further provides that a nonconsenting mineral interest
owner must be reimbursed for additional material costs required by the dept. to drill through
the storage unit.
Proposed law further requires that if drilling through a unit is not allowed, the unit operator
must compensate a nonconsenting mineral interest owner for the value of minerals located
beneath the storage unit.
(Amends R.S. 30:1104.2(I))
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.