Surface Use Agreement
A contract between an operator and the surface owner covering well-pad locations, roads, water, damage payments, and reclamation of the land.
A surface use agreement (SUA) is a contract between the oil and gas operator and the owner of the surface estate that governs how the operator may use the land to develop the minerals below. It typically addresses well-pad and road locations, pipeline and powerline routes, water use, gates and fencing, damage and compensation payments, and reclamation — restoring the surface once operations end.
An SUA matters most where the surface and minerals are owned separately — a severed mineral estate. Under the law of most states the mineral estate is dominant, meaning the operator (standing in the mineral owner's shoes) has an implied right to use as much of the surface as is reasonably necessary to produce the minerals, often without the surface owner's consent. An SUA converts that broad, vague right into specific, negotiated terms and dollar amounts.
If you own the surface but not the minerals, an SUA is your main leverage to protect your land and secure damage payments; if you own both, your lease may fold these protections into surface use clauses. This is general information, not legal advice — surface law and operator obligations vary by state.