55-604. Powers of commission; proration of production; approval of plan or distribution. (a) The commission shall have and is hereby given jurisdiction and authority:

(1) Over all matters involving the application and enforcement of this act;

(2) to make and enforce rules, regulations and orders for the prevention of waste as defined by K.S.A. 55-602 and amendments thereto and for carrying out and enforcing each and all of the provisions of this act;

(3) to employ or appoint such agent or agents as necessary to enforce and administer the provisions of this act and rules, regulations and orders adopted or issued under this act. Such agent or agents, with the exception of clerical help, shall be experienced in and conversant with the oil business; and

(4) as otherwise provided, without limiting the generality of the foregoing authority provided in this section.

(b) In prorating the production allowed to each pool among the wells in the pool, the commission shall take into consideration, among such other factors as it finds proper, and give due and proper weight to:

(1) The productivity of each such well as determined by such reasonable method as the commission shall adopt for the pool;

(2) the acreage of each well owner which is reasonably attributable to each of the owner's wells; and

(3) the efficient utilization of the reservoir energy in the pool, except that the allowable production of any well in any prorated pool shall not be reduced below 25 barrels per day. The 25 barrels per day minimum per well allowable may be reduced proportionately when the acreage attributable to any well is less than the number of acres in a spacing unit established by the corporation commission for wells in a spaced pool. In the absence of such a spacing unit, when the acreage attributable to any well is less than 10 acres, the 25 barrels per day minimum per well allowable may be reduced in the proportion that the acreage attributable to the well bears to 10 acres, except that the reduction in the 25 barrels per day minimum per well allowable by virtue of acreage adjustment shall not apply to oil and gas wells drilled or commenced prior to the effective date of this act.

(c) When it appears to the commission that those having a right to drill into and produce oil from any pool, part of any pool or prospective pool, in this state, have unanimously agreed upon a plan for the development of such pool, part of any pool or prospective pool or for the distribution of allowed production in the pool, the commission, after notice and hearing in accordance with the provisions of the Kansas administrative procedure act, may approve such plan or distribution.

History: L. 1931, ch. 226, § 4; L. 1939, ch. 227, § 3; L. 1947, ch. 310, § 1; L. 1957, ch. 316, § 1; L. 1959, ch. 236, § 1; L. 1965, ch. 341, § 2; L. 1973, ch. 219, § 3; L. 1988, ch. 356, § 168; L. 1995, ch. 9, § 2; July 1.