With few exceptions, the grant of an oil and gas lease carries with it the implied right to use as much of the surface area as is reasonably necessary to explore and produce the oil and gas. Oil companies generally desire a much broader usage of the surface area. Consequently, most leases contain provisions permitting a wide range of surface activities.
Even though the lessee may be liable for surface damages, the inconvenience of unwanted and unwarranted structures and entries upon the surface area by the lessee may be avoided to some degree by the following: