(1) The applicant must have legal permission, which can be in the form of a lease, written permission of an owner of the minerals, or an affidavit of the applicant affirming that he or she will obtain permission to explore through geophysical operations for oil, gas, or minerals underlying the lands.
(2) The applicant shall post a good and sufficient surety bond or other form of security with the department in such amount as the department may determine is adequate to protect areas upon which geophysical operations are conducted from failure by the applicant to restore the area to the general condition and the contour similar to that in existence prior to such operations. The bond shall contain reasonable standards and safeguards from which to determine whether any sum should be paid by the surety.
(3) The applicant shall contract with a person or persons, acceptable to the department, who are not regular employees of the applicant, whose duties shall be to accompany each geophysical crew utilizing explosives and to witness the location and depth of each seismic hole and the loading and detonation of all explosive charges in each hole, and who shall report to the supervisor of oil and gas, Bureau of Geology, on these activities. The department shall share geophysical permit information with a county or municipality upon request and may, on its own initiative, share such information with a county or municipality. The county or municipality shall maintain the confidential status of such information, as required by s. 377.2408(3), and such information shall be exempt from the provisions of s. 119.07(1). However, in order to avoid unnecessary duplication, no county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state may adopt or establish programs to accomplish the purposes of this section.
History.—s. 4, ch. 80-283; s. 1, ch. 86-34; s. 4, ch. 87-183; s. 2, ch. 88-278; s. 9, ch. 89-117; s. 622, ch. 95-148; s. 178, ch. 96-406.
Structure Florida Statutes
Title XXVIII - Natural Resources; Conservation, Reclamation, and Use
Chapter 377 - Energy Resources
Part I - Regulation of Oil and Gas Resources (Ss. 377.01-377.42)
377.01 - Governor to enter into interstate compact to conserve oil and gas.
377.03 - Extension of compact.
377.04 - Official report of state.
377.06 - Public policy of state concerning natural resources of oil and gas.
377.07 - Division of Resource Management; powers, duties, and authority.
377.075 - Division of Technical Services; geological functions.
377.10 - Certain persons not to be employed by division.
377.18 - Common sources of oil and gas.
377.21 - Jurisdiction of division.
377.23 - Monthly reports to division.
377.24 - Notice of intention to drill well; permits; abandoned wells and dry holes.
377.2408 - Application to conduct geophysical operations.
377.2409 - Geophysical activities; confidential information; penalties.
377.241 - Criteria for issuance of permits.
377.2411 - Lawful right to drill, develop, or explore.
377.242 - Permits for drilling or exploring and extracting through well holes or by other means.
377.2421 - Division to review federal applications.
377.2424 - Conditions for granting permits for geophysical operations.
377.2425 - Manner of providing security for geophysical exploration, drilling, and production.
377.2426 - Abandonment of geophysical holes.
377.243 - Conditions for granting permits for extraction through well holes.
377.2431 - Conditions for granting permits for natural gas storage facilities.
377.2432 - Natural gas storage facilities; protection of water supplies.
377.2433 - Protection of natural gas storage facilities; remedies.
377.2434 - Property rights to injected natural gas.
377.2435 - Rule adoption relating to natural gas storage.
377.244 - Conditions for granting permits for surface exploratory and extraction operations.
377.25 - Production pools; drilling units.
377.28 - Cycling, pooling, and unitization of oil and gas.
377.29 - Agreements in interest of conservation.
377.30 - Limitation on amount of oil or gas taken.
377.31 - Evidence of rules and orders.
377.32 - Issuance of subpoenas; service, etc.
377.33 - Injunctions against division.
377.34 - Actions and injunctions by division.
377.35 - Suits, proceedings, appeals, etc.
377.36 - False entries and statements; incomplete entries; penalties.
377.371 - Pollution prohibited; reporting, liability.
377.39 - Seizure and sale of illegal oil, gas, or product.
377.40 - Negligently permitting gas and oil to go wild or out of control.