Bill Text: CA SB979 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Oil and gas: operations: notices of intention: written response for denied notice.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-14 - Referred to Com. on N.R. & W. [SB979 Detail]
Download: California-2023-SB979-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 979
| Introduced by Senator Grove |
January 29, 2024 |
An act to amend Section 3203 of the Public Resources Code, relating to oil and gas.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 979, as introduced, Grove.
Oil and gas: operations: notices of intention: written response for denied notice.
Existing law establishes the Geologic Energy Management Division in the Department of Conservation, under the direction of the State Oil and Gas Supervisor, who is required to supervise the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of oil and gas wells in the state and the operation, maintenance, and removal or abandonment of tanks and facilities related to oil and gas production within an oil and gas field, so as to prevent damage to life, health, property, and natural resources. Existing law requires the operator of a well to file a written notice of intention to commence drilling with, and prohibits any drilling until approval is given by, the supervisor or district deputy. Existing law also requires an operator of a well to file a notice of intention with, and to receive approval from, the supervisor or a district deputy for the deepening or redrilling of wells, the plugging of
wells, or the permanent altering of the casing of wells. Under existing law, if the supervisor or district deputy fails to give the operator written response to the notice within 10 working days from the date of receipt, that failure is considered an approval of the notice, as provided.
This bill would require the supervisor or district deputy to provide a written response to the operator within 10 working days from the date of receipt of the notice of intention that describes the legal basis for any decision not to approve the notice of intention.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 3203 of the Public Resources Code is amended to read:3203.
(a) The operator of any well, before commencing the work of drilling the well, shall file with the supervisor or the district deputy a written notice of intention to commence drilling. Drilling shall not commence until approval is given by the supervisor or the district deputy. The supervisor or district deputy shall provide a written response to the operator within 10 working days from the date of receipt of the notice that describes the legal basis for any decision not to approve the notice. If the supervisor or the district deputy fails to give the operator written response to the notice within 10 working days from the date of receipt, that failure shall be considered as an approval of the notice and the notice, for the purposes and intents of this chapter, shall be deemed a written report of the supervisor. If operations have not commenced within 24 months of receipt of the notice, the notice shall be deemed canceled, the notice shall not be extended, and the cancellation shall be noted in the division’s records. The notice shall contain the pertinent data the supervisor requires on printed forms supplied by the division or on other forms acceptable to the supervisor. The supervisor may require other pertinent information to supplement the notice.(b) After the completion of any well, this section also applies as far as may be, to the deepening or redrilling of the well, any operation involving the plugging of the well, or any operations permanently altering in any manner the casing of the well. The number or designation of any well, and the number or designation specified for any well in a notice filed as required by this section, shall not be changed
without first obtaining a written consent of the supervisor.
(c) If an operator has failed to comply with an order of the supervisor, the supervisor may deny approval of proposed well operations until the operator brings its existing well operations into compliance with the order. If an operator has failed to pay a civil penalty, remedy a violation that it is required to remedy to the satisfaction of the supervisor pursuant to an order issued under Section 3236.5, or to pay any charges assessed under Article 7 (commencing with Section 3400), the supervisor may deny approval to the operator’s proposed well operations until the operator pays the civil penalty, remedies the violation to the satisfaction of the supervisor, or pays the charges assessed under Article 7 (commencing with Section 3400).
