§ 15-55-301 - Purposes.
15-55-301. Purposes.
(a) The State Geologist shall, upon consultation with and approval of the Governor, establish and equip a chemical laboratory for the carrying on of this work and appoint suitable assistants; the State Geologist and his or her assistants are to constitute the geological corps whose duty it shall be to make a geological survey of the sections of this state he or she deems necessary and proper to ascertain the mineral properties of the state.
(b) This survey shall have for its object:
(1) (A) An examination of the geological structure, including the dip, magnitude, order, and relative portions of the several strata, their ore-bearing qualities, or usefulness in the production of oil, gas, water, building stone, road materials, or other valuable minerals; and
(B) The accessibility of the geological structure for mining or manufacture and the most economic means for their production;
(2) An examination of the various soils of the state for the determination of their chemical constituency and agricultural adaptability, with recommendations for the preservation and improvement of their fertility by the addition of other materials, such as the phosphate rocks, limestones, chalks, marls, and green sands found in various parts of the state, with the view of ascertaining their value for use on deficient soils;
(3) An investigation of the available water power of the streams of this state and of the problems of flood control and land drainage, so that information will be available to citizens of the state that will enable them to develop the hydroelectric possibilities and reclaim the rich agricultural lands along these waterways;
(4) To investigate methods of mining and mineral production, and devise means for the conservation of the natural resources and to make suggestions for safeguarding the lives of miners and preventing explosions and other accidents, cooperating in this work with the State Mine Inspector and the Oil and Gas Commission;
(5) To obtain records of the names and addresses of all individuals, companies, or corporations engaged in mineral production in the state, together with information as to the capacity, output, and holdings of their plants, amount of capital invested, number of persons employed, value of products, and other data indicative of the business of the establishments;
(6) To obtain a list of the owners of undeveloped mineral properties and information as to character of mineral, extent of deposit, location, convenience to transportation, facilities for working, and probable cost of development, placing this list at the disposal of persons seeking investments in mineral properties;
(7) To prepare an accurate geological map of the state, showing by colors, symbols, and other appropriate means, the exposed or surface formations, topographic contours, soil types, physical features, and areas of mineral-bearing ores, with comprehensive data concerning the stratification of the rocks and underground conditions for publication with the reports of the survey;
(8) To examine and analyze specimens of minerals submitted by citizens of this state and report upon their intrinsic worth or economic value and to collect from various sources the names of manufacturers and others who use, or may be in the market for, mineral products, and to furnish these names to owners of mineral products and owners of mineral deposits or property who seek to develop their mineral deposits or property;
(9) To obtain from the county clerks of the various counties when oil or gas wells may be drilled, or from the driller of the well and other sources, the records or logs, which the statutes provide shall be kept of the wells and copies filed with the county clerk, keeping this data in a convenient form so that it may be accessible to any person seeking information regarding the underground structure of the state; and further, the State Geologist shall correlate the data obtained from these logs and other sources and construct therefrom maps showing the relative positions of various geological formations, and the depth of water, gas, and oil-bearing strata, and other information as would be helpful in a study of the geology of the regions where wells have been drilled;
(10) To cooperate with the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration in investigation for tax purposes and inventorying and appraising all mining properties held under private ownership or control; and
(11) To make a report on or before the first Monday in December of each year of the results and progress of the survey, accompanied by maps, profiles, and drawings as necessary to explain the survey. The Governor may cause the report to be printed and distributed or shall lay it before the General Assembly for its consideration; provided, that, if the public interest requires, special reports may be issued showing the results of geological investigation.