§22-9-1. Definitions.

In this article unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) The term "coal mine" means those operations in a coal seam which include the excavated and abandoned portions as well as the places actually being worked; also all underground workings and shafts, slopes, tunnels, and other ways and openings and all such shafts, slopes, tunnels and other openings in the course of being sunk or driven, together with all roads and facilities connected with them below the surface.

(2) The term "operating coal mine" means: (a) A coal mine which is producing coal or has been in production of coal at any time during the twelve months immediately preceding the date its status is put in question under this article and any worked out or abandoned coal mine connected underground with or contiguous to such operating coal mine as herein defined; and (b) any coal mine to be established or reestablished as an operating coal mine in the future pursuant to section four of this article.

(3) The term "outside coal boundaries" when used in conjunction with the term "operating coal mine" means the boundaries of the coal acreage assigned to such coal mine and which can be practicably and reasonably expected to be mined through such coal mine.

(4) The term "well" means a borehole drilled or proposed to be drilled within the storage reservoir boundary or reservoir protective area for the purpose of or to be used for producing, extracting or injecting any gas, petroleum or other liquid but excluding boreholes drilled to produce potable water to be used as such.

(5) The term "gas" means any gaseous substance.

(6) The term "storage reservoir" means that portion of any subterranean sand or rock stratum or strata into which gas is or may be injected for the purpose of storage or for the purpose of testing whether said stratum is suitable for storage.

(7) The term "bridge" means an obstruction placed in a well at any specified depth.

(8) The term "linear foot" means a unit of measurement in a straight line on a horizontal plane.

(9) The term "person" means any individual, association, partnership or corporation.

(10) The term "reservoir protective area" means all of that area outside of and surrounding the storage reservoir boundary but within two thousand linear feet thereof.

(11) The term "retreat mining" means the removal of such coal, pillars, ribs and stumps as remain after the development mining has been completed in that section of a coal mine.

(12) The term "pillar" means a solid block of coal surrounded by either active mine workings or a mined out area.

(13) The term "inactivate" means to shut off all flow of gas from a well by means of a temporary plug, or other suitable device or by injecting aquagel or other such equally nonporous material into the well.

(14) The term "storage operator" means any person as herein defined who proposes to or does operate a storage reservoir, either as owner or lessee.

(15) The term "workable coal seam" has the same meaning as the term "workable coal bed" as set out in section one, article six of this chapter.

(16) The terms "owner", "coal operator", "well operator", "plat", "casing", "oil" and "cement" shall have the meanings set out in section one, article six of this chapter.