---
title: "Draft surface-use terms from the lawyer's term sheet"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/energy-resources-and-mining/settle-the-land-access-and-compensation-agreement-with-the-landholder/united-states"
type: "task_jurisdiction_version"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A13-X20260927-3-US"
practice_area: "Energy, Resources & Mining"
tier: "yellow"
lawyer_review: "required"
jurisdictions: ["US"]
last_reviewed: "2026-10-22"
---

# Draft surface-use terms from the lawyer's term sheet

> Draft only the surface-use terms the lawyer has already written in the term sheet. Leave compensation blank unless the term sheet states a figure. Do not say a permit to drill has been approved.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/energy-resources-and-mining/settle-the-land-access-and-compensation-agreement-with-the-landholder/united-states  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-22

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Energy, Resources & Mining](https://ailawframework.com/practice/energy-resources-and-mining.md) |
| Human involvement | Yellow: Lawyer and AI draft together |
| How AI is used | Draft only the surface-use terms the lawyer has already written in the term sheet. Leave compensation blank unless the term sheet states a figure. Do not say a permit to drill has been approved. |
| What the lawyer must review | 30 U.S.C. 226(g) provides that the Secretary of the Interior, or for National Forest lands the Secretary of Agriculture, shall regulate all surface-disturbing activities conducted pursuant to any lease issued under that chapter, and shall determine reclamation and other actions as required in the interest of conservation of surface resources. No permit to drill on an oil and gas lease issued under that chapter may be granted without the analysis and approval by the Secretary concerned of a plan of operations covering proposed surface-disturbing activities within the lease area. The subsection also requires standards for an adequate bond, surety, or other financial arrangement before surface-disturbing activities begin. It does not state a compensation amount. ABA Formal Opinion 512 (29 July 2024) leaves the lawyer responsible for the draft. The lawyer sets any payment and decides whether the terms are agreed. |
| Written for | United States |
| Applies to | [Settle the land access and compensation agreement with the landholder](https://ailawframework.com/practice/energy-resources-and-mining/settle-the-land-access-and-compensation-agreement-with-the-landholder.md) |

## Checking plan

- What the AI does: Draft only the surface-use terms the lawyer has already written in the term sheet. Leave compensation blank unless the term sheet states a figure. Do not say a permit to drill has been approved.
- Basis: Checked against the linked sources on 22 October 2026. Confirm the current instrument before reliance.

## Notes

- A private surface owner's agreement is not an approval of a permit to drill.
- No compensation rate was opened. A blank stays blank.

## Sources

- [30 U.S.C. 226, Leasing of oil and gas parcels](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/30/226) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [ABA Formal Opinion 512, Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools (29 July 2024)](https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/professional_responsibility/ethics-opinions/aba-formal-opinion-512.pdf) (checked 2026-10-22)

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*