P.R. Laws tit. 28, § 111
Commercial minerals are the metallic and combustible substances, petroleum and all natural hydrocarbon compounds that compose, found therein or are derived therefrom; natural gas, precious stones and such other substances as may from time to time be declared commercial minerals by the Secretary of Natural and Environmental Resources, due to new uses found for such substances or their greater value under given circumstances of processing or manufacture or any other industrial or commercial factors.
Ownership of the commercial minerals found in the soil and subsoil of Puerto Rico, its adjacent islands and in surrounding waters and submerged lands next to their coasts up to where the depth of the waters allows their exploitation and utilization, in an extension of not less than three marine leagues, belongs to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, which may exploit them directly or authorize their exploitation by other natural or artificial persons through leases executed by the Secretary of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and approved by the Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
For the purposes of this chapter, the term “marine league” shall mean 5,556 meters (3.45 land miles or 3 nautical miles).
History —Aug. 18, 1933, No. 9, p. 32, § 1; Oct. 6, 1954, No. 6, p. 48, § 1; June 27, 1969, No. 96, p. 257, § 1; renumbered as § 1A and amended on Oct. 29, 1975, No. 10, p. 766, § 2; July 17, 1979, No. 115, p. 279.