The Oil, Gas, and Minerals Division is responsible for lease sales and all aspects of lease administration.  The Lease Management team works to oversee all administrative functions associated with an oil and gas lease. 

Any person needing to post a bond, assign a lease, or take any action with respect to a lease works with the Division to effectuate such changes.

The Land Office administers two types of Cooperative Agreements – Communitization Agreements and Unit Agreements. Communitization Agreements are issued when an oil & gas well’s proration or spacing unit, as permitted by the Oil Conservation Division (OCD), encompasses two or more leases or types of land. Communitization Agreements are for proration units/well bores and are limited to a single productive oil & gas geological formation. Units are larger land and geology-based consolidations that allow many different leaseholders to pool resources and operate a larger area on a “lease” basis. Within a unit or Communitization Agreement, OCD rules for well set-backs, as well as the need for a Land Office right-of-way easements, salt water disposal (SWD) easements, and/or a business lease is eliminated. This may allow for better development of the area, with orientation and spacing of wells being dictated by geology instead of spacing rules and regulations.

In addition to administering and reviewing the above-described Cooperative Agreements, the Division also reviews various well applications submitted to the Oil Conservation Division to determine if the well will impact the State Land Office. The Division administers the Reduced Royalty Program and reviews wells seeking to qualify for the program and is also responsible for performing mineral evaluations and lease sales.

The Oil, Gas, and Minerals Division is led by Director Allison Marks. Allison joined the State Land Office, after serving as both the Deputy Director and legal counsel to the Oil Conservation Division (OCD).  Allison has practiced law for over thirteen years, with experience in oil and gas, environmental, business, banking and finance, wildlife, and government law.  In her work as Deputy Director and as an attorney, she has worked closely with the State Land Office.  Prior to her work with the OCD, Allison served as the General Counsel to the Department of Game and Fish and worked for several years in private practice in Santa Fe and Chicago.  As Director, Allison seeks to encourage responsible development of State Trust Lands, drawing on her diverse background.