---
kind: "section"
citation: "30 U.S.C. § 271"
title: "30"
title_heading: "Mineral Lands and Mining"
number: "271"
heading: "Prospecting permits; lands included; acreage"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/30/271"
units:
  - "Chapter 3A — Leases and Prospecting Permits"
  - "Subchapter VIII — Sulphur"
---

# §271. Prospecting permits; lands included; acreage


The [Secretary](/usc/30/661.md?p=b-2) of the Interior is hereby authorized and directed, under such rules and regulations as he may prescribe, to grant to any qualified applicant a prospecting permit which shall give the exclusive right to prospect for sulphur in lands belonging to the United States located in the States of Louisiana and New Mexico for a period of not exceeding two years: Provided, That the area to be included in such a permit shall be not exceeding six hundred and forty acres of land in reasonably compact form.


## Source credit

(Apr. 17, 1926, ch. 158, § 1, 44 Stat. 301; July 16, 1932, ch. 498, 47 Stat. 701.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was not enacted as part of act Feb. 25, 1920, ch. 85, 41 Stat. 437, known as the Mineral Leasing Act, which comprises this chapter.

### Amendments

1932—Act July 16, 1932, substituted “States of Louisiana and New Mexico” for “State of Louisiana”.