38-09-15.1. Sale of private mineral interests at public offerings for state mineral leases

38-09-15.1. Sale of private mineral interests at public offerings for state mineral leases. The state or any of its departments and agencies when making a public offering for lease of state-owned mineral interests may allow private owners of mineral interests common to the state's mineral interests to offer their mineral interests at the public offering to be conducted by the state. The state-owned and privately owned mineral interests must be offered separately at the public offering. Privately owned mineral interests may only be offered when the common state-owned mineral interest is being offered. The private mineral owners shall submit a signed and notarized lease form to the state at the time they submit their minerals for inclusion in a public offering together with a current title opinion for the mineral interests certified by an attorney licensed to practice law in the state of North Dakota. The lease to be used by the private mineral owners must be on a form prescribed by the board of university and school lands in which the lease term, royalty rate, and rental rate are consistent with the state-owned mineral lease term and rates. The executed lease must be submitted to the leasing agency prior to the cutoff date for the public offering as established by the leasing agency. The private mineral interests must be advertised in the same manner as provided for in section 38-09-15. No bid may be accepted unless the bidder, at the time of the leasing, tenders or pays to the leasing official an amount equal to the bonus offered for the lease. The payment must be in the form of a thirty-day sight draft payable upon approval of title. The leasing official, in exchange for tender of the bonus, shall deliver to the successful bidder the executed lease. The leasing agency shall, as soon as practical after the sale, forward the thirty-day draft to the private mineral owners. The person must agree to warrant and defend title to the mineral interest being offered for lease before being allowed to offer the mineral interest for sale under this section. When a person agrees to offer a mineral interest at a public offering that interest may not be withdrawn from the offering. A person offering a mineral interest at a public offering under this section shall agree to pay prior to sale an equitable share of the costs incurred by the state in making that public offering. Nothing in this section may be construed or interpreted to impose any liability or obligation upon the state or any of its departments, agencies, agents, or employees by reason of any acts or omissions done under this section.