A. The Corporation Commission shall prescribe and promulgate rules and regulations which require the lease operator to remove all unnecessary operating equipment, structures, surface debris, abutment or obstacles used in the operation of the well from the land upon which the well is located, and shall grade or terrace the surface of the soil as required in this section unless the owner of the land and the lease operator have entered into a contract providing otherwise. Provided, however, the provisions of this section shall not apply to Osage County.
B. Within twelve (12) months after the completion of a producing well, the operator shall fill all the pits for containing muds, cuttings, salt water or oil that are not needed for production purposes or are not required by state or federal law or regulation and shall remove all concrete bases, drilling supplies and drilling equipment and all other equipment not necessary for producing said well, excluding guy line anchors. Within such period, the operator shall grade or terrace the land surface within the area disturbed in siting, drilling, completing and producing the well which land is not required in production of the well.
C. Within twelve (12) months after a well that has produced oil or gas is plugged or after the plugging of a dry hole, the operator shall remove all production and storage structures, supplies and equipment and any oil, salt water and debris and fill any remaining excavations. Within such period, the operator shall grade or terrace the area disturbed.
D. The operator shall be released from responsibility to perform any or all requirements of this section on any part or all of the area disturbed upon the filing of a request for a waiver with and obtaining the written approval of the Commission, which request shall be signed by the surface owner to certify the approval of the surface owner of the release sought. The Commission shall approve such requests unless it finds upon inspection that the waiver would be likely to result in substantial damage to adjoining property, substantial contamination of surface or underground water or substantial erosion or sedimentation. If the Commission refuses to approve a request for waiver, it shall do so by order.
E. This act shall also apply to the operators of a secondary or enhanced oil recovery unit that is or has been operated under a plan of unitization approved by order of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission and established by a proper certificate of effectiveness. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to repeal the statutes governing the establishment and operation of such secondary or enhanced recovery unit.
F. The Commission may, upon written application by an operator showing reasonable cause, extend the period within which restoration shall be completed, but not to exceed a further six-month period, except under extraordinarily adverse weather conditions or when essential equipment, fuel or labor is unavailable to the operator. If the Commission refuses to approve a request for waiver or extension, it shall do so by order.
G. The provisions of this section shall also apply to the drilling of or conversion to a saltwater disposal or injection well and to any operation in connection with reentering or reworking any oil and gas well or saltwater injection or disposal well.
Amended by Laws 1982, c. 205, § 2, emerg. eff. April 27, 1982.
Structure Oklahoma Statutes
Title 17. Corporation Commission
§17-2. Contempt proceedings - When authorized - Institution of prosecution - Notice.
§17-3. Pleadings, trial, judgment and appeal.
§17-5. Supreme Court to give precedence to such appeals.
§17-6. Judgment lien - Execution.
§17-6.1. Penalties - Willfully and knowingly injuring or destroying pipeline transportation system.
§17-7. Judgment of Supreme Court on appeal.
§17-8. Moneys to be paid into state treasury.
§17-9. Taxation of costs and fees.
§17-10. Attorney General to prosecute.
§17-11. Proceedings when no quorum present.
§17-13. Admission of evidence.
§17-16. Penalty for destroying records.
§17-18. Expert witnesses - Documentation of justification.
§17-31. Senior Utility Rate Analysts - Salary - Qualifications.
§17-32. Director of Administration - Qualifications - Duties.
§17-33. Administrative Aide - Salary - Powers and duties - Office location.
§17-34.2. Employees under Federal Underground Injection Control Project.
§17-35. Data Processing Division - Responsibilities - Support services - Director.
§17-37. Certain federal rules and regulations not to be enforced - Exceptions.
§17-39. Petty cash fund – Maximum amount - Administration.
§17-39.2. Remittances of taxes and fees – Service charges - Receipts - Deposit of money.
§17-40. Transportation Division.
§17-40.2. Electronic signatures.
§17-41. Cotton gins declared public utilities.
§17-42. License from Corporation Commission - Necessity - Showing - Fee.
§17-45. Appeals to Supreme Court.
§17-46. Regulations - Enforcement of orders.
§17-51. Oil and gas department established.
§17-53. Promulgation of rules - Plugging wells.
§17-53.1. Removal of surface trash and debris - Rules and regulations.
§17-53.3. Abandoned oil and gas well-site equipment - State lien.
§17-55. Use of frac tanks with unprotected manways prohibited.
§17-56. Inspections - Devices complying with act - Injunctions.
§17-57. Oil and Gas Division Revolving Fund.
§17-71. Passenger rate regulation - Power conferred upon commission.
§17-72. Effect of act - Amendment of Constitution - Vested rights.
§17-81. Jurisdiction of Corporation Commission over crossings.
§17-83. Procedure before Commission - Appeals.
§17-84. Location and kind of crossing.
§17-86. Extra hazardous crossings - Protective devices - Costs.
§17-87. Payment of state costs.
§17-91. Power of Corporation Commission respecting fences.
§17-115. Rules and regulations relating to safety, sanitation and shelter.
§17-116.2. Railroad company motor vehicles used to transport workers - Safe condition and operation.
§17-116.3. Rules and regulations establishing minimum standards.
§17-116.4. Hearings - Suggestions.
§17-116.5. Amendment of rules and regulations.
§17-116.7. Orders of commission.
§17-121. Commission has power of court of record regarding refunds.
§17-122. Judgment for overcharge - Lien - Collection.
§17-123. Appealed orders - Additional judgment for expenses of commission.
§17-124. Appeal regarding refunds.
§17-125. Unclaimed refunds - Administrations.
§17-132. Application for certificate - Notice.
§17-133. Grant or refusal of certificate - Protests.
§17-134. Repair, maintenance or reconstruction - Injury to or interference with shade trees.
§17-136. Extension of telephone service to open territories - Petition - Notice and hearing.
§17-137. Rates - Telephone companies not subject to local exchange rate regulation.
§17-137.3. Universal service fee.
§17-139.1. Coin-activated and credit card-activated telephones - Operating requirements.
§17-139.101. Short title - Oklahoma Telecommunications Act of 1997.
§17-139.106. Oklahoma Universal Service Fund.
§17-139.107. Administration of funds.
§17-139.108. Provisions applicable to OneNet and the Oklahoma Government Telecommunications Network.
§17-139.109.1. Special Universal Services – Eligibility – Competitive bidding - Funding.
§17-139.601. Wide Area Calling Plans - Expansion to include sole unincluded exchanges.
§17-140.2. Prohibition of certain pay-per-call services or interactive programs.
§17-140.3. Services to children under 12 years - Requirements.
§17-140.4. Rules and regulations.
§17-140.5. Provisions in conflict or inconsistent with Oklahoma Constitution.
§17-140.6. Amendments and alterations to constitution - Legislative intent.
§17-153. Implied and incidental powers of Commission - Contempt.
§17-154. Records of public utility business.
§17-155. Orders and rules of Commission - Scope - Right of appeal.
§17-158.23. Geographical areas.
§17-158.24. Fixing boundaries of certified territories - Protests - Hearings by Commission.
§17-158.25. Exclusive rights within territory - New electric-consuming facilities.
§17-158.26. Contracts between suppliers.
§17-158.28. Applicabilty of act.
§17-158.29. Annexation of area to city or town.
§17-158.30. Grand River Dam Authority excepted.
§17-158.31. Liberal construction.
§17-158.32. Section 437.2 of Title 18 not repealed - Provisions as cumulative.
§17-158.43. Affected area division procedure.
§17-158.44. Furnishing of retail electricity continued.
§17-158.45. Provisions in conflict or inconsistent with Constitution.
§17-158.52. Statement - Contents - Oath or affirmation - Amendments.
§17-158.53. Approval of acquisition of control - Public hearing.
§17-158.54. Notice of public hearing - Expenses and security.
§17-158.55. Domestic public utility - Filing application for approval - Exemption.
§17-158.56. Jurisdiction - Copies of lawful process.
§17-158.57. Corporation Commission power - Expenses of conducting analysis or investigation.
§17-158.58. Violations - Injunctions - Transmitting evidence - Criminal proceedings.
§17-158.59. Fines and penalties.
§17-158.60. Appeals - Precedence.
§17-158.61. Provisions in conflict or inconsistent with Constitution.
§17-158.66. Facilitating Internet Broadband Rural Expansion (FIBRE) Act – Pole attachment rates.
§17-159.12. Certificate of convenience and necessity required for water transportation lines.
§17-159.13. Rules and regulations for applications.
§17-159.14. Information to be furnished with application.
§17-159.15. Notice of receipt of application.
§17-159.16. Power to issue or refuse certificate - Protests.
§17-159.17. Provisions of certificate - Defaults.
§17-159.18. Assignment of certificate.
§17-159.20. Petition for service.
§17-159.21. Administrative Procedures Act to govern - Review.
§17-159.23. Restriction on owning or holding water rights.
§17-160.1. Ratemaking authority and general jurisdiction of Corporation Commission.
§17-160.2. Existing trusts to submit certain information - Rate orders.
§17-160.11. Oklahoma Wind Energy Development Act.
§17-160.12. Legislative findings.
§17-160.14. Decommissioning of wind energy facility.
§17-160.15. Required filing - Evidence of financial security.
§17-160.16. Statement to landowner.
§17-160.17. Inspection of records.
§17-160.18. Report to Corporation Commission.
§17-160.19. Insurance policies.
§17-160.20. Setback requirements.
§17-160.21. See the following versions:
§17-160.21v1. Notification of intent to build a facility.
§17-160.21v2. Notification of intent to build a facility.
§17-160.22. Authority to promulgate rules and set fees.
§17-161.1. Restrictions on charges for reselling electric current or natural gas.
§17-162. Administrative law judges - Powers - No additional compensation.
§17-164. Fees for rebates or refunds.
§17-166.1. Fees - Rules and regulations.
§17-166.2. Purchase of transcripts - Utilization of Oil and Gas Revolving Fund.
§17-167. Certificate of record showing as to oil and gas leases - Filing.
§17-168. Certificate as prima facie evidence - Burden of proof.
§17-179. Acts in conflict of interest by Commission members prohibited.
§17-180.1. Advertising expenses by public utilities.
§17-180.2. Public utilities - Promotional payments.
§17-180.4. Political activities prohibited - Exception.
§17-180.6. Intrastate transmission of telephone communication or message.
§17-180.7. Corporation Commission Revolving Fund.
§17-180.11. Assessment upon public utilities.
§17-183. Certificate to be obtained from Commission.
§17-185. Application - Filing - Examination - Issuance of certificate.
§17-186. Validation of securities or liens when certificate not obtained.
§17-188. Securities title not applicable.
§17-189. Rural electric cooperative corporations - Law not applicable.
§17-190. Addition of optical fiber to electric towers - Additional easement or license.
§17-190.2. Purpose of act - Goals of restructured electric utility industry.
§17-190.4. Study of and development of framework for electric utility industry restructuring.
§17-190.5. Study of impact of restructuring on tax revenues.
§17-190.8. Nondiscriminatory equivalent access to transmission and distribution facilities.
§17-190.9. Collection of municipal taxes by retail service distributors.
§17-190.21. Joint Electric Utility Restructuring Task Force.
§17-191.2. Procedure for acquisition, control or merger of certain domestic public utilities.
§17-191.4. Combination of statements.
§17-191.5. Conditions for disapproval of acquisition of control or merger - Hearing.
§17-191.6. Notice of hearing - Bond for payment of expenses.
§17-191.8. Court jurisdiction - Agent for service of process.
§17-191.9. Powers of Corporation Commission - Expenses of conducting analysis or investigation.
§17-191.10. Injunctions - Bond not required - Evidence.
§17-191.11. Violations - Penalties.
§17-191.12. Appeal to Supreme Court.
§17-191.13. Provisions in conflict or inconsistent with Oklahoma Constitution.
§17-200. Legislative intent - Competition.
§17-202. Authorization to enter business.
§17-205. Rules and regulations.
§17-206. Amendments and alterations to Constitution - Legislative intent.
§17-252. Monitoring of fuel adjustment clauses.
§17-253. Rules for considering adjustment applications.
§17-254. Disclosure in customer bills.
§17-255. Preexisting clauses to continue.
§17-256. Sections 251 to 255 not applicable to electric cooperatives.
§17-257. Electric generation cooperatives - Report of fuel adjustment clauses.
§17-258. Approval of purchased power adjustment clauses.
§17-259. Monitoring of application of adjustment clauses.
§17-260. Disclosure of per unit rate in consumer's bill.
§17-261. Preexisting purchased power adjustment clauses.
§17-262. Applications through common representative.
§17-263. Periodic detailed rate investigations.
§17-281. Responses to discovery requests.
§17-282. Settlement conferences.
§17-284. Rate increase applications - Effect given to known and measurable changes.
§17-285. Communications between utilities and customers.
§17-287. Development of wind energy - Expansion of transmission capacity.
§17-292. Rights of electric transmission owner.
§17-293. Local electric transmission facility.
§17-302. Legislative intent - Public policy.
§17-304.1. Exemption from certain aboveground tank requirements - Promulgation of new rules.
§17-306. Corporation Commission Petroleum Storage Tank Division - Powers and duties.
§17-306.1. Tanks containing petroleum products used for agricultural purposes - Permit fee.
§17-307. Corporation Commission - Rules governing storage tank systems.
§17-308. Permits - Registration - Fees - Inspection - Financial responsibility coverage.
§17-308.1. Storage tank systems for regulated substances - Permit fees - Penalties.
§17-309. Release from storage tank system - Corrective action.
§17-310.1. Notice to real property owners – Access to property - Compensation.
§17-311. Fines - Criminal violations.
§17-312. Enforcement of actions and remedies - Action for equitable relief - Jurisdiction - Relief.
§17-314. Annual report of new releases.
§17-315. Corporation Commission Storage Tank Revolving Fund.
§17-316. Ordinance or regulations in conflict with act prohibited.
§17-319. Underground Storage Tank Operator Training Program.
§17-321. Short title - Purpose - Scope.
§17-322. Petroleum Storage Tank Division - Jurisdiction - Director - Powers and duties.
§17-324. Petroleum Storage Tank Indemnity Fund – Expenditures – Administrator – Composition of fund.
§17-327.1. Assessment on motor fuel – Exemptions - Allocation.
§17-327.2. Duty to precollect assessment – Collection report.
§17-327.3. Reimbursement for allowable costs from an eligible release.
§17-327.4. Confidential records, reports or information.
§17-327.5. Indemnity Fund claim payments - Subrogation.
§17-330. Required procedures for hearing of protests.
§17-340. Storage Tank Advisory Council - Members - Quorum - Authority - Rules - Expenses.
§17-341. Unlawful to sell, offer for sale, use or consume regulated substances not in compliance.
§17-341.1. Fuel inspection and compliance personnel.
§17-341.2. Division employees – Prohibited from jobs or businesses in regulated field.
§17-342. Authority to promulgate rules and specifications.
§17-343. Inspection required for regulated substances and mixtures - Penalties.
§17-344. Refusal to admit inspector - Penalties.
§17-346. Duty to inspect fueling facilities.
§17-346.1. Duty to inspect measuring devices.
§17-346.2. Applicability to regulated substances in transit to other states.
§17-346.3. Noncompliance – Tampering with sign, lock or seal - Penalties.
§17-347. Ethanol or methanol label requirements.
§17-348.1. Adulterated antifreeze.
§17-348.2. Misbranded antifreeze.
§17-348.3. Sample analysis of antifreeze prior to sale – Annual permit application and fee.
§17-348.4. Enforcement by Petroleum Storage Tank Division.
§17-348.5. Authority to promulgate rules.
§17-348.6. List of brands and trademarks of antifreeze permitted.
§17-348.7. Advertising of antifreeze – Restricted statements.
§17-348.8. Fees deposited to credit of Corporation Commission Revolving Fund.
§17-348.9. Violations - Penalties.
§17-503. Corporation Commission - Jurisdiction - Rules and regulations - Exceptions.
§17-504. Utilization of brine rights - Application - Solution gas owners as respondents.
§17-505. Unitization of brine rights - Notice of application.
§17-506. Commission's findings - Evidence required - Orders.
§17-507. Delineation of unit area - Allocation of production.
§17-508. Plan of unitization - Provisions - Ratification by record owners - Election to sell.
§17-509. Amendment and modification of property rights and obligations - Distribution of production.
§17-510. Increase or decrease of unit area size.
§17-511. Liability of owner or lessee - Liens.
§17-513. Participation in plans by state and local land management boards.
§17-514. Taxation of unit production or sale proceeds.
§17-515. Purchasing priority of solution gas.
§17-516. Pre-existing brine, solution gas or brine and solution gas units - Effect of Act.
§17-520. Security for location damages - Filing - Entry upon property - Increase in security.
§17-524. Jurisdiction of Corporation Commission - Exception from repeal or limits.
§17-710.1. Electric Usage Data Protection Act.
§17-710.2. Legislative findings.
§17-710.4. Electric utilities – Customer information.
§17-710.5. Electric utilities – Usage data.
§17-710.6. Customer information - Affiliates.
§17-710.7. Aggregate customer usage information.
§17-710.8. Promulgation of rules.
§17-801. Legislative intent - Use of cedar trees and residue as renewable energy source.
§17-801.1. Oklahoma Energy Security Act.
§17-801.2. Legislative intent.
§17-801.4. Renewable energy standard.
§17-801.5. Natural gas energy standard.
§17-801.7. Construction of act.
§17-801.9. Hydrogen fuel production standard – Annual report.
§17-802.1. Oklahoma Energy Initiative Act.
§17-802.2. Oklahoma Low Carbon Energy Initiative - Duties.