compulsory unitization. Unitization done by order of a regulatory agency.
— Also termed forced unitization.
forced unitization. See compulsory unitization.
voluntary unitization. Unitization arranged by agreement of the owners of mineral interests.
unitization
unitization. Oil & gas. The collection of producing wells over a reservoir for joint operations such as enhanced-recovery techniques. • Unitization is usu. carried out after primary production has begun to fall off substantially, in order to permit efficient secondary-recovery operations. It is also done to comply with well-spacing requirements established by state law or regulation. Pooling, by contrast, is usu. associated with drilling a single well and operating that well by primary-production techniques. Cf. POOLING. [Cases: Mines and Minerals 92.78. C.J.S. Mines and Minerals §§ 349, 357–359, 361, 384–386.] — unitize (yoo-n[schwa]-tIz), vb.
