Illinois Code § 23.11

§ 23.11.

The unit operator shall have a lien for all costs incurred pursuant to the plan of unitization upon the leasehold estate, exclusive of a 1/8 share of gross production, which is attributable to a lessor's royalty interest, and on all the oil and gas leasehold interest and on all the equipment and material used in unit operations owned by each working interest owner, subject to the plan of unitization, to the full extent of such owner's ownership on the day a notice is filed pursuant to Paragraph 2 of Section 23.3 to secure the payment of such working interest owner's proportionate part of the unit development and operating expense. The unit operator may enforce such lien by serving notice on the purchaser of production attributable to such owner's interest, and the purchaser shall make payment thereof to the operator without indemnity as to disposition of such proceeds. Such lien shall attach to and become a charge against such owner's working interest, or any portion thereof, or any oil and gas leasehold, or part thereof, included within the unit area. Such lien shall also attach to and become a charge against all equipment used in unit operations and all unit production, or the proceeds thereof, inuring to the benefit of such owner's working interest. Notice of such lien may be given, and the same may be foreclosed, as provided for in "An Act in relation to liens of contractors, sub-contractors, material men and laborers for work performed and materials furnished in digging, drilling, building, erecting, completing, operating and maintaining oil and gas wells and pipe lines", filed July 25, 1939, as heretofore or hereafter amended; provided, however, that where provision has been made in the plan of unitization for carrying or financing any working interest owner as authorized by Subparagraph (d) of Paragraph 1 of Section 23.3, the lien authorized by this Section shall attach to and become a charge only against such owner's share of the unit production, or the proceeds thereof, and against such owner's share in the equipment used in unit operations, until such financing be terminated as provided in the plan of unitization. (Source: P.A. 79-462.)