43 U.S.C. § 270–12 Disposal by United States of coal, oil, or gas deposits reserved to United States; entry, reentry, etc., on lands for prospecting, mining, and removal
The coal, oil, or gas deposits reserved to the United States in accordance with the act of March 8, 1922 (42 Stat. 415; 43 U.S.C. 270–11 et seq.), as added to by the Act of August 17, 1961 (75 Stat. 384; 43 U.S.C. 270–13), and amended by the Act of October 3, 1962 (76 Stat. 740; 43 U.S.C. 270–13), shall be subject to disposal by the United States in accordance with the provisions of the laws applicable to coal, oil, or gas deposits or coal, oil, or gas lands in Alaska in force at the time of such disposal. Any person qualified to acquire coal, oil, or gas deposits, or the right to mine or remove the coal or to drill for and remove the oil or gas under the laws of the United States shall have the right at all times to enter upon the lands patented under the Act of March 8, 1922, as amended, and in accordance with the provisions hereof, for the purpose of prospecting for coal, oil, or gas therein, upon the approval by the Secretary of the Interior of a bond or undertaking to be filed with him as security for the payment of all damages to the crops and improvements on such lands by reason of such prospecting. Any person who has acquired from the United States the coal, oil, or gas deposits in any such land, or the right to mine, drill for, or remove the same, may reenter and occupy so much of the surface thereof incident to the mining and removal of the coal, oil, or gas therefrom, and mine and remove the coal or drill for and remove oil and gas upon payment of the damages caused thereby to the owner thereof, or upon giving a good and sufficient bond or undertaking in an action instituted in any competent court to ascertain and fix said damages: Provided, That the owner under such limited patent shall have the right to mine the coal for use on the land for domestic purposes at any time prior to the disposal by the United States of the coal deposits: Provided further, That nothing in this Act shall be construed as authorizing the exploration upon or entry of any coal deposits withdrawn from such exploration and purchase.