§ 776.28 Covered preparatory activities.

(a) Before production begins. (1) The United States Supreme Court has held that the Act is applicable to employees of a company which was engaged in preliminary oil well drilling, even though the holes were drilled to a specified depth which was short of where the oil was expected to be found. ^[1] The Act would also apply to drilling operations even though no oil was discovered. ^[2] Laborers employed in erecting drilling rigs would also be covered. ^[3] Other preparatory work before drilling begins in an oil field, such as staking oil claims, surveying, clearing the land, assembling materials and equipment, erecting sheds, derricks or dikes would also be within the scope of the Act. ^[4] Preliminary work such as the foregoing has the requisite close and immediate tie with the production of goods for commerce to be within the coverage of the Act.