apportionment rule
apportionment rule. Oil & gas. The minority doctrine that royalties accrued under an oil-and-gas lease on land that is subdivided during the lease term must be shared by the landowners in proportion to their interests in the land. • For example, if Grey granted a lease to Simms, then sold one-half of the land to Metcalfe, Simms and Metcalfe would each be entitled to one-half of any royalty from the land, no matter where the producing well was located. Only California, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania follow this rule. Cf. NONAPPORTIONMENT RULE.
