The Director shall hold confidential all logs, surveys, and reports relating to the drilling, completion, and testing of a well that are filed by a gas or oil operator under this chapter for a period of 90 days after the completion of the well or 18 months after the total depth of the well has been reached, whichever occurs first. Upon receipt of a gas, oil, or geophysical operator's written request, the Director shall hold confidential such information concerning an exploratory well or corehole for a period of two years after completion of the well or four years from the date such well or hole reaches total depth, whichever occurs first. The Director, for good cause shown by the gas, oil, or geophysical operator, may annually extend the period of time for which information regarding exploratory drilling is held confidential. However, the Director shall upon request provide a copy of any survey or log for strata through the lowest coal seam to the coal owner.
1990, c. 92, § 45.1-361.6; 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