Michigan Provisions That May Be Added to A Pooling Or Unit Designation In the state of Michigan, the pooling or unit designation process is an essential aspect of oil and gas development to efficiently exploit natural resources. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EAGLE) has established a set of provisions that can be added to a pooling or unit designation to ensure the fair and equitable distribution of oil and gas revenues among stakeholders. These provisions aim to protect the interests of both surface owners and mineral rights holders. There are several types of provisions that can be added to a pooling or unit designation in Michigan, depending on the specific circumstances and agreements reached between the parties involved. Some of the most common provisions include: 1. Lease Integration: This provision allows the operator to combine leasehold interests within a defined geographical area, ensuring that the resources are extracted efficiently while minimizing surface and subsurface disturbances. It enables the operator to treat multiple leases as a single unit for the purpose of drilling and production activities. 2. Compulsory Pooling: This provision is used when a certain percentage of mineral rights owners within a defined area have agreed to lease their interests, but there are still holdout owners who refuse to participate. Compulsory pooling allows for the inclusion of these non-consenting owners into the unit, ensuring that development can proceed without hindrance. 3. Unitization: Unitization provisions are used when multiple leases or mineral rights holders within a particular area agree to pool their interests together. This allows for the creation of a unified unit to efficiently extract the oil and gas resources. Unitization ensures that all parties benefit proportionally from the production, eliminating wasteful competition and maximizing recovery. 4. Surface Use Restrictions: To protect surface owners from excessive disruptions, surface use restrictions can be added to a pooling or unit designation. These restrictions may include limitations on drilling locations, access roads, storage facilities, noise levels, and other operational aspects. They are designed to minimize the impact on surface rights while still allowing for efficient resource extraction. 5. Royalty and Revenue Sharing: Provisions related to royalty and revenue sharing ensure that all participants in a pooling or unit receive their fair share of the proceeds from oil and gas production. This can include mechanisms such as tiered royalty structures, profit sharing agreements, and bonus payments. Understanding and integrating these provisions in a pooling or unit designation is crucial for successful oil and gas development in Michigan. By addressing the concerns of all stakeholders involved, these provisions help to maintain a balance between efficient resource extraction and protecting the rights and interests of surface owners and mineral rights holders.