California Code
DIVISION 3 - OIL AND GAS
CHAPTER 1 - Oil and Gas Conservation

ARTICLE 1 - Definitions and General Provisions

Section 3000. - 3000. Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions hereinafter set...

Section 3001. - 3001. “Department,” in reference to the government of this state,...

Section 3002. - 3002. “Division,” in reference to the government of this state,...

Section 3003. - 3003. “Director” means the Director of Conservation. (Amended by Stats....

Section 3004. - 3004. “Supervisor” means the State Oil and Gas Supervisor. (Enacted...

Section 3005. - 3005. “Person” includes any individual, firm, association, corporation, or any...

Section 3006. - 3006. “Oil” includes petroleum, and “petroleum” includes oil. (Enacted by...

Section 3007. - 3007. “Gas” means any natural hydrocarbon gas coming from the...

Section 3008. - 3008. (a) “Well” means any oil or gas well or...

Section 3009. - 3009. “Operator” means a person who, by virtue of ownership,...

Section 3010. - 3010. “Production facility” means any equipment attendant to oil and...

Section 3011. - 3011. (a) The purposes of this division include protecting public...

Section 3012. - 3012. The provisions of this division apply to any land...

Section 3013. - 3013. This division shall be liberally construed to meet its...

Section 3014. - 3014. “District” means an oil and gas district as provided...

Section 3015. - 3015. For the purpose of implementing Section 503 of the...

Section 3016. - 3016. For purposes of this chapter, abandoned underground personal property,...

ARTICLE 2 - Administration

Section 3100. - 3100. For the purposes of this chapter, the state is...

Section 3101. - 3101. The supervisor shall appoint one chief deputy and at...

Section 3103. - 3103. The chief deputy shall be a competent engineer or...

Section 3104. - 3104. Each district deputy shall be a competent engineer or...

Section 3105. - 3105. An office under the supervision of a district deputy...

Section 3106. - 3106. (a) The supervisor shall so supervise the drilling, operation,...

Section 3106.5. - 3106.5. Acting with the approval of the director, the supervisor...

Section 3107. - 3107. A district deputy in each district, designated by the...

Section 3108. - 3108. (a) On or before the first day of October...

Section 3108.5. - 3108.5. (a) (1) On or before July 1, 2026, the...

Section 3109. - 3109. The supervisor may publish any publications, reports, maps, or...

Section 3110. - 3110. All money paid to the Treasurer pursuant to Article...

Section 3111. - 3111. (a) All money received in repayment of repair work...

Section 3112. - 3112. Notwithstanding any other provision of this code or of...

Section 3113. - 3113. (a) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the...

Section 3114. - 3114. (a) By July 30, 2019, and annually thereafter, the...

Section 3115. - 3115. On or before July 1, 2023, the division shall...

ARTICLE 2.3 - Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Administrative Fund: Labor Standards for Funding

Section 3125. - 3125. All work to plug and abandon wells, decommission production...

Section 3125.1. - 3125.1. (a) Not later than June 30, 2024, the California...

Section 3125.2. - 3125.2. (a) The division, with assistance from the Labor and...

Section 3125.3. - 3125.3. (a) This section applies only to work performed by...

ARTICLE 2.5 - Underground Injection Control

Section 3130. - 3130. For purposes of this article, the following terms mean...

Section 3131. - 3131. (a) To ensure the appropriateness of a proposal by...

Section 3132. - 3132. (a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions...

ARTICLE 3 - Well Stimulation

Section 3150. - 3150. “Additive” means a substance or combination of substances added...

Section 3151. - 3151. “Base fluid” means the continuous phase fluid used in...

Section 3152. - 3152. “Hydraulic fracturing” means a well stimulation treatment that, in...

Section 3153. - 3153. “Well stimulation treatment fluid” means a base fluid mixed...

Section 3154. - 3154. “Proppants” means materials inserted or injected into the underground...

Section 3155. - 3155. “Supplier” means an entity performing a well stimulation treatment...

Section 3156. - 3156. “Surface property owner” means the owner of real property...

Section 3157. - 3157. (a) For purposes of this article, “well stimulation treatment”...

Section 3158. - 3158. “Acid well stimulation treatment” means a well stimulation treatment...

Section 3159. - 3159. “Flowback fluid” means the fluid recovered from the treated...

Section 3160. - 3160. (a) On or before January 1, 2015, the Secretary...

Section 3161. - 3161. (a) The division shall finalize the regulations governing this...

ARTICLE 3.5 - Natural Gas Storage Wells

Section 3180. - 3180. (a) As used in this article, “gas storage well”...

Section 3181. - 3181. (a) The operator of a gas storage well shall...

Section 3181.5. - 3181.5. (a) (1) The operator of a gas storage well...

Section 3182. - 3182. On a weekly basis, the division shall post a...

Section 3183. - 3183. (a) The division, in consultation with the State Air...

Section 3184. - 3184. (a) Within 72 hours of being notified of a...

Section 3185. - 3185. The division shall perform unannounced random onsite inspections of...

Section 3186. - 3186. An operator of a gas storage well shall develop...

Section 3186.3. - 3186.3. On or before July 1, 2021, in response to...

Section 3187. - 3187. All materials provided to the division and approved by...

ARTICLE 4 - Regulation of Operations

Section 3200. - 3200. An owner or operator of a well or production...

Section 3201. - 3201. (a) The operator of a well or production facility...

Section 3202. - 3202. (a) A person who acquires the right to operate...

Section 3203. - 3203. (a) The operator of any well, before commencing the...

Section 3203.5. - 3203.5. (a) The division shall require a copy of the...

Section 3204. - 3204. (a) An operator who, on or after January 1,...

Section 3205. - 3205. (a) An operator who engages in the drilling, redrilling,...

Section 3205.1. - 3205.1. (a) Notwithstanding Sections 3204 and 3205, a person who...

Section 3205.2. - 3205.2. (a) Notwithstanding Section 3204, any person who engages in...

Section 3205.3. - 3205.3. (a) The division may require an operator filing an...

Section 3205.5. - 3205.5. In lieu of the indemnity bond required by Sections...

Section 3205.6. - 3205.6. Before July 1, 2020, the supervisor shall do all...

Section 3205.7. - 3205.7. (a) (1) Commencing July 1, 2022, the division shall...

Section 3206. - 3206. (a) The operator of any idle well shall do...

Section 3206.1. - 3206.1. (a) By June 1, 2018, the division shall review,...

Section 3206.2. - 3206.2. (a) (1) The division, in consultation with the State...

Section 3206.3. - 3206.3. (a) (1) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code,...

Section 3206.5. - 3206.5. (a) Any city or county may request from the...

Section 3207. - 3207. (a) Any individual or blanket indemnity bond issued in...

Section 3208. - 3208. (a) For the purposes of Sections 3206 and 3207,...

Section 3208.1. - 3208.1. (a) To prevent, as far as possible, damage to...

Section 3209. - 3209. The provisions of Section 3207 as to termination and...

Section 3210. - 3210. The owner or operator of any well shall keep,...

Section 3211. - 3211. The log shall show the character and depth of...

Section 3212. - 3212. The core record shall show the depth, character, and...

Section 3213. - 3213. (a) The history shall show the location and amount...

Section 3214. - 3214. The log shall be kept in the local office...

Section 3215. - 3215. (a) Within 60 days after the date of cessation...

Section 3216. - 3216. The owner or operator of any well, or his...

Section 3219. - 3219. Any person engaged in operating any oil or gas...

Section 3219.5. - 3219.5. (a) On or before July 1, 2001, the Department...

Section 3220. - 3220. The owner or operator of any well on lands...

Section 3222. - 3222. The owner or operator of any well shall, at...

Section 3223. - 3223. The district deputy or an inspector designated by the...

Section 3224. - 3224. The supervisor shall order such tests or remedial work...

Section 3225. - 3225. (a) An order of the supervisor or a district...

Section 3226. - 3226. (a) Within 30 days after service of an order...

Section 3226.3. - 3226.3. The division shall annually provide to the State Water...

Section 3227. - 3227. (a) The owner of any well shall file with...

Section 3227.5. - 3227.5. The supervisor shall compile from statements filed pursuant to...

Section 3227.6. - 3227.6. As used in Sections 3227 and 3227.5, the following...

Section 3228. - 3228. Before abandoning any well in accordance with methods approved...

Section 3229. - 3229. Before commencing any work to abandon a well, the...

Section 3230. - 3230. The notice of intention to abandon shall contain the...

Section 3232. - 3232. The supervisor or the district deputy shall, within 10...

Section 3233. - 3233. (a) The division may develop field rules which establish...

Section 3234. - 3234. (a) (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section,...

Section 3235. - 3235. (a) The supervisor may upon their own initiative or...

Section 3236. - 3236. Any owner or operator, or employee thereof, who refuses...

Section 3236.5. - 3236.5. (a) A person who violates this chapter or a...

Section 3237. - 3237. (a) (1) The supervisor or district deputy may order...

Section 3238. - 3238. (a) For oil and gas produced in this state...

ARTICLE 4.1 - Abandoned Wells

Section 3240. - 3240. The supervisor, in cooperation with appropriate state and local...

Section 3241. - 3241. The supervisor, in cooperation with appropriate state and local...

Section 3243. - 3243. (a) On or before July 1, 2022, the supervisor...

ARTICLE 4.2 - Hazardous Wells and Facilities

Section 3250. - 3250. The Legislature hereby finds and declares that hazardous and...

Section 3251. - 3251. For the purposes of this article, the following definitions...

Section 3251.5. - 3251.5. (a) Notwithstanding Section 3251, a well shall be deemed...

Section 3252. - 3252. As used in this article, “natural resources” includes land,...

Section 3253. - 3253. If any provisions of this article or the application...

Section 3254. - 3254. This article shall be liberally construed and applied to...

Section 3255. - 3255. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this division, the...

Section 3256. - 3256. (a) The division is hereby authorized to accept, and...

Section 3257. - 3257. To effect the purpose of this article, the division...

Section 3258. - 3258. (a) The division shall not make expenditures from the...

ARTICLE 4.3 - Oil and Gas Environmental Remediation Account

Section 3260. - 3260. For purposes of this article, “account” means the Oil...

Section 3261. - 3261. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, including...

Section 3262. - 3262. The division may adopt regulations to implement this article....

ARTICLE 4.4 - Regulation of Production Facilities

Section 3270. - 3270. (a) The division shall, by regulation, prescribe minimum facility...

Section 3270.1. - 3270.1. Within three months of its acquisition of a production...

Section 3270.2. - 3270.2. The division shall inspect production facilities to ensure compliance...

Section 3270.3. - 3270.3. In addition to any other remedy provided by law,...

Section 3270.4. - 3270.4. (a) In addition to the bonding requirements under Article...

Section 3270.5. - 3270.5. (a) (1) By January 1, 2018, the division shall...

Section 3270.6. - 3270.6. Upon the discovery of a leak from an active...

ARTICLE 4.5 - Interstate Cooperation in Oil and Gas Conservation

Section 3275. - 3275. The Legislature of the State of California hereby ratifies...

Section 3276. - 3276. The provisions of the interstate compact referred to in...

Section 3277. - 3277. The Governor is hereby designated as the official representative...

ARTICLE 4.6 - Health Protection Zones

Section 3280. - 3280. For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:...

Section 3281. - 3281. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, commencing January 1, 2023,...

Section 3281.5. - 3281.5. (a) The Legislature finds and declares that development of...

Section 3282. - 3282. Commencing January 1, 2025, all oil or gas production...

Section 3283. - 3283. (a) All operators with a production facility or well...

Section 3284. - 3284. (a) Before commencing any work that requires a notice...

Section 3285. - 3285. (a) Every operator shall submit to the division by...

Section 3286. - 3286. (a) Commencing January 1, 2027, and no less than...

Section 3287. - 3287. Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, on or...

Section 3288. - 3288. The division, the State Air Resources Board, and the...

Section 3289. - 3289. (a) No provision of this article is a limitation...

Section 3290. - 3290. The State Air Resources Board, relevant local air districts,...

Section 3291. - 3291. This article does not diminish or alter the authority...

ARTICLE 5 - Unreasonable Waste of Gas

Section 3300. - 3300. The unreasonable waste of natural gas by the act,...

Section 3301. - 3301. Whenever the supervisor finds that it is in the...

Section 3302. - 3302. Upon complaint being made to the director by any...

Section 3303. - 3303. Notice of the time and place of the hearing...

Section 3304. - 3304. The place of hearing shall be in the county...

Section 3305. - 3305. At the hearing all persons interested are entitled to...

Section 3306. - 3306. Upon the conclusion of the hearing, the supervisor shall...

Section 3307. - 3307. If it appears that gas is being produced from...

Section 3308. - 3308. If the waste of gas is found to be...

Section 3309. - 3309. A copy of the supervisor’s order shall be posted...

Section 3310. - 3310. When the decision of the supervisor that there is...

Section 3311. - 3311. In those suits, a restraining order shall not be...

Section 3312. - 3312. Whenever it appears to the director that the owners,...

Section 3313. - 3313. In such suits a restraining order shall not be...

Section 3314. - 3314. Proceedings to enjoin waste as contemplated by this chapter...

ARTICLE 5.5 - Subsidence

Section 3315. - 3315. It is hereby found and determined: (a) That the...

Section 3316. - 3316. Unless the context otherwise requires, the general provisions and...

Section 3316.1. - 3316.1. As used in this article, “person” means any natural...

Section 3316.2. - 3316.2. “Pool” means an underground reservoir containing, or appearing at...

Section 3316.3. - 3316.3. “Field” means the same general surface area which is...

Section 3316.4. - 3316.4. “Repressuring operations” means gas injection operations, water injection operations,...

Section 3316.5. - 3316.5. “Subsidence” means sinking, lowering, collapsing, compaction or other movement...

Section 3316.6. - 3316.6. “Unit area” means all or part of a pool...

Section 3316.7. - 3316.7. “Unit production” means all oil, gas and other hydrocarbon...

Section 3316.8. - 3316.8. “Fieldwide repressuring plan” means a plan based upon a...

Section 3316.9. - 3316.9. “Unit agreement” means and includes, in addition to the...

Section 3316.10. - 3316.10. “Increased production” means that portion of the oil or...

Section 3316.11. - 3316.11. “Working interest” means an interest held in lands by...

Section 3316.12. - 3316.12. “Working interest owner” means a person owning a working...

Section 3316.13. - 3316.13. “Royalty interest” means a right to or interest in...

Section 3316.14. - 3316.14. “Royalty interest owner” means a person owning a royalty...

Section 3316.15. - 3316.15. “Unit operator” means the person or persons designated by...

Section 3316.16. - 3316.16. “Land” means both surface and mineral rights. (Added by...

Section 3317. - 3317. This article applies only to lands, referred to in...

Section 3318. - 3318. An order of the supervisor which involves tide or...

Section 3319. - 3319. (a) The supervisor, upon the supervisor’s own motion, may,...

Section 3319.1. - 3319.1. Prior to the adoption of a fieldwide repressuring plan...

Section 3320. - 3320. (a) The policy of conducting voluntary repressuring operations in...

Section 3320.1. - 3320.1. (a) An agreement for the management, development and operation...

Section 3320.2. - 3320.2. If the supervisor determines that sufficient of the working...

Section 3320.3. - 3320.3. In determining, as required by Section 3320.2, whether the...

Section 3320.4. - 3320.4. In order to encourage the initiation and conduct of...

Section 3320.5. - 3320.5. No working or royalty interest owner shall be liable...

Section 3321. - 3321. (a) Subject to the limitations specified in this article,...

Section 3322. - 3322. An order of the supervisor requiring unit operation, pursuant...

Section 3322.1. - 3322.1. No order of the supervisor creating a unit and...

Section 3323. - 3323. Notice of the time and place of any hearing...

Section 3324. - 3324. At hearings all persons interested are entitled to be...

Section 3325. - 3325. The supervisor shall make and enforce all rules and...

Section 3326. - 3326. An order requiring unit operation may be amended for...

Section 3327. - 3327. Subject to the limitations in this article governing the...

Section 3328. - 3328. (a) The portion of unit production allocated to a...

Section 3329. - 3329. The unit operator shall be authorized on behalf of...

Section 3330. - 3330. When unit expenses incurred by a unit operator on...

Section 3331. - 3331. Any order issued by the supervisor pursuant to this...

Section 3332. - 3332. Within 30 days after the written notice of the...

Section 3333. - 3333. (a) A final order of the supervisor shall be...

Section 3334. - 3334. The pendency of actions before the superior court or...

Section 3335. - 3335. If an action for judicial review has not been...

Section 3336. - 3336. The supervisor upon his own motion may, or shall...

Section 3337. - 3337. The division shall exercise surveillance over all repressuring operations...

Section 3341. - 3341. At the termination of oil and gas production from...

Section 3342. - 3342. To the extent necessary to conform to the provisions...

Section 3343. - 3343. (a) Any person who willfully violates any provision of...

Section 3344. - 3344. (a) Whenever it appears that any person is violating...

Section 3345. - 3345. No finding or determination made by the supervisor under...

Section 3346. - 3346. The provisions of this article shall supersede any conflicting...

Section 3347. - 3347. If any section, subsection, subdivision, sentence or clause of...

ARTICLE 6 - Appeals and Review

Section 3350. - 3350. (a) The operator of a well or a production...

Section 3351. - 3351. (a) A hearing shall be provided in accordance with...

Section 3352. - 3352. (a) A hearing conducted by the director shall adhere...

Section 3353. - 3353. (a) Within 30 days after the close of a...

Section 3354. - 3354. (a) Following a hearing conducted by the director pursuant...

Section 3355. - 3355. When an operator seeks judicial review of a decision...

Section 3356. - 3356. (a) If the operator does not appeal an order,...

Section 3357. - 3357. (a) In any proceeding before the director, and in...

Section 3358. - 3358. Witnesses shall be entitled to receive the fees and...

Section 3359. - 3359. In case of the failure or neglect on the...

ARTICLE 7 - Assessment and Collection of Charges

Section 3400. - 3400. The charges directed to be levied by this article...

Section 3401. - 3401. (a) The proceeds of charges levied, assessed, and collected...

Section 3402. - 3402. There shall annually be imposed upon the person operating...

Section 3403. - 3403. There shall annually be imposed upon the person operating...

Section 3403.5. - 3403.5. (a) The Legislature finds that there are underground storage...

Section 3404. - 3404. The charges authorized by this article are in addition...

Section 3405. - 3405. The department shall prescribe the form and contents of...

Section 3406. - 3406. Every person chargeable under this article, shall on or...

Section 3407. - 3407. The department may, for good cause shown, by order...

Section 3407.5. - 3407.5. If the person filing the report required under Section...

Section 3408. - 3408. (a) If any person chargeable under this article fails...

Section 3410. - 3410. The department shall, on or before June 15th of...

Section 3412. - 3412. On or before June 15 of each year, the...

Section 3413. - 3413. Between the first of March and the 15th of...

Section 3417. - 3417. The notice shall state: (a) That the assessment of...

Section 3417.5. - 3417.5. (a) The division shall send a notice to each...

Section 3418. - 3418. The department shall prepare each year a record called...

Section 3419. - 3419. On or before the first of July the department...

Section 3420. - 3420. (a) (1) No charges shall be levied for assessments...

Section 3421. - 3421. Every payment on a delinquent charge shall be applied...

Section 3423. - 3423. (a) If any person fails to pay any charge...

Section 3423.2. - 3423.2. A warrant may be issued by the Controller or...

Section 3423.3. - 3423.3. Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, the...

Section 3423.4. - 3423.4. The sheriff shall receive, upon the completion of his...

Section 3423.6. - 3423.6. In the event that the lien of the charges,...

Section 3423.9. - 3423.9. It is expressly provided that the remedies provided herein...

Section 3424. - 3424. All charges assessed and levied shall be paid to...

Section 3425. - 3425. Errors appearing upon the face of any assessment on...

Section 3426. - 3426. The Controller shall, on or before the thirtieth day...

Section 3427. - 3427. The Attorney General shall commence and prosecute any such...

Section 3428. - 3428. In such actions the record of assessments and charges,...

Section 3429. - 3429. Payment of the penalties and charges, or the amount...

Section 3430. - 3430. Any person claiming and protesting that the assessment made...

Section 3431. - 3431. Whenever an action is commenced under the provisions of...

Section 3432. - 3432. (a) The Attorney General shall defend the action. (b)...

Section 3433. - 3433. Failure to begin the action within the time specified...

ARTICLE 8 - Recommendation of Maximum Efficient Rates of Production

Section 3450. - 3450. The Legislature takes notice of the existence of the...

Section 3451. - 3451. “Maximum Efficient Rate,” commonly referred to as “MER,” is...

ARTICLE 9 - Used Oil Recycling Act

Section 3460. - 3460. (a) As used in this article: (1) “Used oil”...

Section 3462. - 3462. The Legislature finds that almost 100 million gallons of...

Section 3463. - 3463. It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting...

Section 3465. - 3465. The board shall conduct a public education program to...

Section 3466. - 3466. (a) The board shall prescribe guidelines for providing safe...

Section 3469. - 3469. The board, and every state officer and employee, shall...

Section 3470. - 3470. (a) All rules and regulations of the board shall...

Section 3473. - 3473. If any provision of this article or the application...