(1) Whenever any mineral lands in fee, or severed mineral rights and interests in, on, and under any lands situated in the State of Arkansas shall be owned, or held by two (2) or more persons, firms, or corporations in joint tenancy, in common or in coparceny, and there shall be no operation thereof under existing valid mining and operating leases, any one (1) or more of the owners or holders of mineral lands in fee, or severed mineral interests, in, on, and under the land, or the lessees of any one (1) or more of any such mineral owners may have the lands or mineral interests, leased and operated, in the manner provided in this subchapter.
(2) The word “mineral” as used herein shall include oil, gas, asphalt, coal, iron, zinc, lead, cinnabar, bauxite, and salt water whose naturally dissolved components or solutes are used as a source of raw materials for bromine and other products derived therefrom in bromine production.