Art. 5341e. SUSPENSION OF RUNNING OF TERMS OF LEASES WHILE OWNER IS DENIED ACCESS BY UNITED STATES.  If the owner of any valid oil and gas lease granted by the State covering University lands is denied access to or is denied a permit to drill upon or produce from the leased premises by any duly constituted authority of the United States of America, after a bona fide attempt has been made by such owner to obtain access or permit to drill upon or produce from the leased premises, and denial of access as used herein shall include agreements by the lessee or his assigns under any such lease with a duly constituted authority of the United States not to enter upon and engage in drilling operations on any such oil and gas lease made under compulsion or threat of condemnation by such duly constituted authority of the United States, such owner may file with the Board for Lease of University Lands an application describing and giving the date of the action which deprives him of the right of access or the right to drill upon or produce from the premises, and if said Board is satisfied that the facts set forth in the application are true, the Board may enter an order upon its minutes suspending the running of both the primary and the principal term of such lease, or suspending any condition, obligation, or duty thereunder as of the date of the origin of the cause of suspension and during the existence of the cause of suspension, so long as the lessee continues to make on each anniversary date of such lease the annual rental payments stipulated in the lease during the period of suspension.  Such oil and gas lease shall remain in status quo, and all obligations and conditions existing during such lease or such of them as may be suspended by said Board, shall be inoperative and of no force and effect, except the obligation to pay delay rentals as provided for herein, until ninety (90) days after the Board for Lease of University Lands shall enter an order upon its minutes reciting that the cause for suspension has ceased to exist, at which time such oil and gas lease shall, provided the rental payments have been made during the period of suspension, again become operative and all of the suspended obligations and conditions, including the payment of rentals under same, shall again attach and be in force, and in the case of the suspension of the primary and/or principal terms of the lease, the lease shall thereafter continue in force for a period equivalent to the unexpired term of the lease on the date or origin of the cause for suspension.  The Commissioner of the General Land Office shall give notice immediately to the lessee of the entry of the order that the cause for suspension has ceased to exist;  provided, however, that the annual rental payments have been met.
Acts 1945, 49th Leg., p. 300, ch. 217, Sec. 1.