765 ILCS 530/2

(765 ILCS 530/2) (from Ch. 96 1/2, par. 9652)

Sec. 2. As used in this Act:

(a) "Person" means any natural person, corporation, firm, partnership,
venture, receiver, trustee, executor, administrator, guardian, fiduciary or
other representative of any kind and includes any government or any
political subdivision or agency thereof;

(b) "Drilling operations" means the drilling, deepening or conversion of
a well for oil or gas production, core hole or drill hole for a stratigraphic
test;

(c) "Entry" means the moving upon the surface of land with equipment to
commence drilling operations, but shall not include entry for the survey
for or ascertaining or identification of a well location;

(d) "Operator" means the person, whether the owner or not, who applies
for or holds a permit for drilling operations or who is named as the
principal on a bond for a permit for a well that was issued by the
Department of Natural Resources;

(e) "Surface owner" means the person in whose name the surface of the
land on which drilling operations are contemplated, and who is assessed for
purposes of taxes imposed pursuant to the Property Tax Code according to the
records of the assessor of the county where the land
is located as certified by said assessor;

(f) "Assessor" means the supervisor of assessments, board of assessors,
or county assessor, as the case may be, for the county in which the land is
located;

(g) "Production operation" means the operation of a well for the
production of oil,
 gas, and coalbed methane,
including all acts, structures, equipment, and
roadways necessary for such operation;

(h) "New well" means a well that is spudded after the effective date of
this Act and does not utilize any part of a well bore or drilling location
that existed prior to the effective date of this Act;

(i) "Completion of the well" means completion of those processes
necessary before production occurs, including the laying of flow lines and
the construction of the tank battery.  If the well is not productive, the
date of completion of the well is the day it is plugged and abandoned.

(Source: P.A. 95-830, eff. 8-14-08.)