AB 7

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Under existing law, the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources, or the division, in the Department of Conservation, regulates the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of oil and gas wells in the state. The State Oil and Gas Supervisor supervises the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of wells and the operation, maintenance, and removal or abandonment of tanks and facilities related to oil and gas production within an oil and gas field regarding safety and environmental damage. Existing law requires an operator of a well, before commencing the work of drilling the well, to file with the supervisor or the district deputy a written notice of intention to commence drilling, and prohibits the commencement of drilling until approval is given by the supervisor or the district deputy. Existing law requires the operator of a well to keep, or cause to be kept, a careful and accurate log, core record, and history of the drilling of the well. Within 60 days after the date of cessation of drilling, rework, or abandonment operations, the owner or operator is required to file with the district deputy certain information, including the history of work performed. This bill would revise that procedure to instead require the operator to file an application before commencing drilling and would prohibit drilling until approval or denial of the application is given by the supervisor or district deputy within 30 working days. The bill would require, on and after January 1, 2014, additional information to be included in the application, including information regarding the chemicals, if any, to be injected into a well. This bill would additionally require the operator prior to drilling, redrilling, or deepening operations to submit proof to the supervisor that the applicable regional water quality control board has approved the disposal method and location of wastewater disposal for the well. This bill would define, among other things, hydraulic fracturing and hydraulic fracturing fluid. The bill would require the owner or operator of a well to provide to the supervisor, or to arrange with the supplier to provide to the supervisor, specific information relating to hydraulic fracturing as a part of the history of the drilling of the well. The bill would, on or before January 1, 2015, require the division, in consultation with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and the Department of Toxic Substances Control, to establish a process through which all chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing treatments may be studied or reviewed. The bill would provide that a supplier who provides information to the supervisor relating to hydraulic fracturing may, at the time of submission, submit to the supervisor a claim in writing that some or all of the information is protected trade secret information, as specified. The bill would require a supplier claiming trade secret protection for the chemical composition of additives used in the hydraulic treatment to disclose the composition to the division, in conjunction with a hydraulic fracturing treatment notice, but would, except as specified, prohibit those with access to the trade secret from disclosing it. Because this bill would create a new crime, it would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would require the supervisor, on or before January 1, 2014, and annually thereafter, to transmit to the Legislature a comprehensive report on hydraulic fracturing in the exploration and production of oil and gas resources in the state, as specified. (2) Existing law requires the supervisor, on or before the first day of October of each year, to make public a report on specified information. This bill would additionally require the supervisor to include information on the origin and total amount of freshwater used in each county for the production of oil and gas production, the disposal of wastewater from oil and gas production in each county, and the well casing failures in each county. This bill would require the operator of a well, at least 30 days prior to commencing a hydraulic fracturing treatment, as defined, to provide a copy of the approved hydraulic fracturing treatment permit to specific surface property owners. The bill would authorize those property owners to request the applicable regional water quality control board to perform water quality sampling and testing on any water well suitable for drinking or irrigation purposes, as specified. The bill would require a notice of intent to drill, rework, or deepen a well where hydraulic fracturing will occur to include specified information. Because a violation of these requirements is a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.