House of Representatives

HB 2492

oil and gas regulation

Sponsors: Representative Flake, Senator Brown

dpa	Committee on Natural Resources
x	Caucus and COW
	As Passed the House

HB 2492 modifies the duties and relationship of the State Geologist and the Oil and Gas Commission regarding publications.

Provisions

PUBLICATIONS

§ The mandatory publication requirement is changed to a discretionary requirement except that an employee who administers the statutes and rules relating to the Oil and Gas Commission cannot publish any material on a facility regulated by the Commission.

§ Prior to publication, the State Geologist shall: (1) consult with the Commission and any person who has a direct economic interest in the project that is listed in the publication, and (2) provide a reasonable opportunity for comment and create a record of comments and responses to each comment.

§ The ability of the Commission to publish maps and reports and sell the materials is removed.

DEFINITIONS

§ The definition of a “completed well” is modified by removing the words “or gases” as a product and “temporarily abandoned” as a condition of the well.

RECORDS

§ The Commission shall provide 60 days notice to the operator before well records become subject to inspection, and, at the operator's request, shall extend the confidential period for not more than three years.

§ The operator is no longer required to provide credible evidence of substantial harm to competitive advantage to request the delay.

OTHER

§ The State Geologist no longer has the authority to enter a property for inspection of wells drilled for oil, gas, geothermal resources or helium.

§ The Oil and Gas Commission shall adopt revised administrative rules consistent with state law and to the extent practical, the laws and regulations of the surrounding states that are active in oil and gas development by January 1, 2001.

HB 2492 passed the Natural Resources Committee amended as follows:

§ Revises the restrictions on State Geologist publications: no publication may include confidential information; the State Geologist shall consult with the operator of a project to obtain approval of the scope of work.

§ Gases are reinserted into the definition as a product of a completed well.

§ Oil and Gas Commission staff is allowed access to well sites for inspections.

§ The ability of the Commission to publish and receive revenue for maps and reports is restored.

§ The extension for the confidentiality period is no longer based on substantial harm to the operator's competitive position.

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§ 44th Legislature Analyst Initials _______

§ Second Regular Session February 4, 2000

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