The provisions of this chapter shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate the following purposes:
1. To foster, encourage, and promote the safe and efficient exploration for and development, production, utilization, and conservation of the Commonwealth's gas and oil resources;
2. To provide a method of gas and oil conservation for maximizing exploration, development, production, and utilization of gas and oil resources;
3. To recognize and protect the rights of any person owning an interest in gas or oil resources contained within a pool;
4. To ensure the safe recovery of coal and other minerals;
5. To maximize the production and recovery of coal without substantially affecting the right of a gas or oil owner proposing to drill a gas or oil well to explore for and produce gas or oil;
6. To protect the citizens and the environment of the Commonwealth from the public safety and environmental risks associated with the development and production of gas or oil; and
7. To recognize that the use of the surface for gas or oil development shall be only the use that is reasonably necessary to obtain the gas or oil.
1982, c. 347, § 45.1-290; 1990, c. 92, § 45.1-361.3; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.
Structure Code of Virginia
Title 45.2 - Mines, Minerals, and Energy
Chapter 16 - Virginia Gas and Oil Act
§ 45.2-1601. Regulation of coal surface mining not affected by chapter
§ 45.2-1602. Construction; purposes
§ 45.2-1603. Virginia Gas and Oil Board; membership; compensation
§ 45.2-1604. Duties and responsibilities of the Director; Virginia Gas and Oil Inspector
§ 45.2-1605. Exclusivity of regulation and enforcement
§ 45.2-1607. Expenditure of funds
§ 45.2-1608. Violations; penalties
§ 45.2-1609. Appeals; venue; standing
§ 45.2-1610. Copy of lease to lessor
§ 45.2-1611. Objections by coal owner
§ 45.2-1612. Distance limitations of certain wells
§ 45.2-1613. Meetings of the Board; notice; general powers and duties
§ 45.2-1614. Additional duties and responsibilities of the Board
§ 45.2-1615. Applicability and construction
§ 45.2-1616. Statewide spacing of wells
§ 45.2-1617. Voluntary pooling of interests in drilling units; validity of unit agreements
§ 45.2-1618. Notice of hearing; standing; form of hearing
§ 45.2-1619. Field rules and drilling units for wells; hearings and orders
§ 45.2-1620. Pooling of interests in drilling units
§ 45.2-1621. Coalbed methane gas; ownership
§ 45.2-1622. Pooling of interests for coalbed methane gas wells; conflicting claims to ownership
§ 45.2-1623. Conflicting claims of ownership; arbitration
§ 45.2-1625. Appeals of the Director's decisions; notices; hearings and orders
§ 45.2-1627. Standing when Director or Board fails to act
§ 45.2-1628. Recording of orders
§ 45.2-1629. Duties, responsibilities, and authority of the Director
§ 45.2-1630. Powers, duties, and responsibilities of the Inspector
§ 45.2-1632. Notice of permit applications and permit modification applications required; content
§ 45.2-1633. Bonding and financial security required
§ 45.2-1634. Gas and Oil Plugging and Restoration Fund
§ 45.2-1635. Expiration of permits
§ 45.2-1636. Abandonment or cessation of well or corehole operation; plugging required
§ 45.2-1637. Objections to permits; hearing
§ 45.2-1638. Appeals of Director's decisions to the Board
§ 45.2-1639. Persons required to register; designated agents
§ 45.2-1640. Report of permitted activities and production required; contents
§ 45.2-1641. Developing a gas or oil well as a water well
§ 45.2-1642. Orphaned Well Fund; orphaned wells
§ 45.2-1643. Interference by injection wells with groundwater supply
§ 45.2-1644. Safety in coalbed methane gas, oil, and geophysical operations
§ 45.2-1645. Chesapeake Bay; drilling for gas or oil prohibited
§ 45.2-1646. Tidewater Virginia; drilling for gas or oil prohibited in certain areas
§ 45.2-1647. Hydraulic fracturing; groundwater management area