30 U.S.C. § 228: Prospecting permits and leases to persons of lands not withdrawn; terms and conditions of; fraud of claimants

Any person who on October 1, 1919 , was a bona fide occupant or claimant of oil or gas lands under a claim initiated while such lands were not withdrawn from oil or gas location and entry, and who had previously performed all acts under then existing laws necessary to valid locations thereof except to make discovery, and upon which discovery had not been made prior to February 25, 1920 , and who has performed work or expended on or for the benefit of such locations an amount equal in the aggregate of $250 for each location if application therefor shall be made within six months from February 25, 1920 , shall be entitled to prospecting permits thereon upon the same terms and conditions, and limitations as to acreage, as other permits provided for in this chapter, or where any such person has made such discovery, prior to said February 25, 1920 , he shall be entitled to a lease thereon under such terms as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe unless otherwise provided for in section 227 1 of this title: 1 See References in Text note below. Provided , That where such prospecting permit is granted upon land within any known geologic structure of a producing oil or gas field, the royalty to be fixed in any lease thereafter granted thereon or any portion thereof shall be not less than 12½ per-centum of all the oil or gas produced except oil or gas used for production purposes on the claim, or unavoidably lost: Provided, however , That the provisions of this section shall not apply to lands reserved for the use of the Navy. No claimant for a permit or lease who has been guilty of any fraud or who had knowledge or reasonable grounds to know of any fraud, or who has not acted honestly and in good faith shall be entitled to any of the benefits of this section. All permits or leases hereunder shall inure to the benefit of the claimant and all persons claiming through or under him by lease, contract, or otherwise, as their interests may appear.