HB0111 • 2020

Split estates-measure of damages-3.

AN ACT relating to oil and gas; amending provisions related to surface damage and disruption payments; and providing for an effective date.

Energy Land

Inactive

Wyoming marks this bill as inactive, which usually means it is no longer moving in the current session.

Sponsor: Representative Clausen
Last action: 2020-03-11
Official status: inactive
Effective date: 3/1/2020

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide a detailed summary that supports all claims made in the candidate explanation. The bill text only confirms amendments related to surface damage payments without additional specifics about dispute resolution or compensation amounts.

Oil and Gas Surface Damage Payments

The bill amends provisions related to surface damage payments for oil and gas operations in Wyoming.

What This Bill Does

Amends the law on how oil and gas operators calculate payments to surface owners for damages caused by their operations.

Who It Names or Affects

Oil and gas companies operating in Wyoming
Surface landowners affected by oil and gas operations

Terms To Know

surface owner: The person who owns the surface rights of a piece of land, even if someone else owns the mineral rights underneath.
fair market value: The price that property would sell for in an open and competitive market between informed parties.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how disputes over damage payments will be resolved.
It is unclear if the changes will lead to higher or lower compensation amounts for surface owners.
This bill was marked as inactive, meaning it did not pass in its current session.

Bill History

2020-03-11 House
H:Died in Committee Returned Bill Pursuant to HR 5-4
2020-02-26 House
H No report prior to CoW Cutoff
2020-02-12 House
H Introduced and Referred to H09 - Minerals 46-13-1-0-0
2020-02-07 House
H Received for Introduction
2020-02-06 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

20LSO-0508
2020
STATE OF WYOMING
20LSO-0508
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0111

Split estates-measure of damages-3.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Clausen, Barlow and Kirkbride and Senator(s) Boner and Wasserburger

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to oil and gas; amending provisions related to surface damage and disruption payments; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 30
‑
5
‑
405(a)(i) is amended to read:

30
‑
5
‑
405.

Surface damage and disruption payments; penalty for late payment.

(a)

The oil and gas operator shall pay the surface owner as follows:

(i)

A sum of money or other compensation equal to the
greater of:

(A)

The actual
amount of damages sustained by the surface owner for loss of production and income, loss of land value and loss of value of improvements caused by oil and gas operations;
or

(B)

The fair market value of the loss sustained by the surface owner including the loss of production and income, loss of land value and loss of value of improvements caused by oil and gas operations. For purposes of this subparagraph, "fair market value" shall include consideration of:

(I)

Any amounts paid by the same or another oil and gas operator for damages of a comparable type to the same or similar property located within the same township and range or within a similar geographic area; and

(II)

Any amounts paid for damages caused by oil and gas operations that resulted in a comparable loss of land value, production and income.

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2020
.

(END)

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HB0111