BOTTINEAU, N.D. – A judge has struck down a North Dakota’s law that landowners say takes away their property rights.
The so-called pore space law passed the Legislature in 2019 after supporters sought clarification on the use of cavities in rock or soil. Pore spaces are used when the petroleum industry injects saltwater from oil and gas production underground for permanent storage or for enhanced oil recovery.
Northeast District Judge Anthony Benson ruled the law unconstitutional because it gives the landowners’ value from pore space to the oil and gas industry for free.
