Sec. 66.66. LEASE SALES. (a) Oil and gas leases shall be offered at public auction or by sealed bid, or through a combination of public auction and sealed bid, as the board elects. Contracts for development may be awarded in the same manner.

(b) The board shall publish notice that the board will receive bids for oil and gas leases or contracts for development of oil and gas in two or more daily newspapers in this state and in other publications as the board may choose.

(c) The notice shall be published at least 30 days before the date the bids will be opened.

(d) The notice shall state that land is to be offered for lease or a contract for development and that a person may obtain a publication from The University of Texas System offices that describes the land offered and the minimum terms.

(e) The board of regents may solicit and include advertising in the publication describing a lease sale. Fees paid for advertising shall be deposited into the special fee account established by Subsection (g) and are available for the same purposes as described in that subsection.

(f) The board may withdraw any lands advertised for lease before the hour set for receiving bids.

(g) Each bid is subject to the payment of a special fee equal to one and one-half percent of the total bonus whether stipulated or bid, which special payment shall constitute a special fund from which the board of regents shall defray the expenses of the sale, including the payment of the general operating expenses for geology, engineering, field inspection, and auditing oil and gas production of university lands and including salaries and traveling expenses of persons employed by the board of regents for those purposes.

(h) The board of regents may direct the comptroller of The University of Texas System to transmit to the state comptroller for deposit to the credit of the permanent university fund unexpended balances remaining in the special fee account after reserving a sufficient amount in it for the payment of current expenses as set out in Subsection (g).

Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1324, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1998.