The board of regents gets liens on lease-related oil, gas, proceeds, and related fixtures; it may foreclose and require paperwork, and the lessee must pay disposal shortfalls for abandoned property on demand.
Sec. 66.83. LIEN; ABANDONED PERSONAL PROPERTY. (a) The board of regents shall have a statutory first lien on oil and gas produced from the area covered by the lease to secure payment of all unpaid royalty and other sums of money that may become due under the lease or this subchapter. (b) By acceptance of the lease, the lessee grants to the board of regents an express contractual lien on and security interest in all oil and gas in and extracted from the area covered by the lease, all proceeds which may accrue to the lessee from the sale of the oil and gas, whether the proceeds are held by the lessee or another person, and all fixtures on and improvements to the area covered by the lease used in connection with the production or processing of the oil and gas to secure the payment of royalties and other amounts due or to become due under the lease or this subchapter and to secure payment of damages or loss that the state may suffer by reason of the lessee's breach of a covenant or condition of the lease, whether express or implied. (c) The statutory and contractual liens and security interest described in this section may be foreclosed with or without court proceedings in the manner provided under Chapter 9, Business & Commerce Code. The board of regents may require the lessee to execute and record instruments reasonably necessary to acknowledge, attach, or perfect the liens. (d) Personal property, including casing, equipment, and fixtures remaining on lands covered by the lease more than one year after the expiration or other termination of the lease shall be considered to be abandoned. The board of regents may take title to abandoned personal property in any manner and keep or use the proceeds for any purpose allowed by law. The lessee shall pay to the board of regents on demand the positive difference between the cost of disposing of abandoned personal property and the proceeds, if any, from the disposition. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1324, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1998.