Pennsylvania Act 2010-15 — OIL AND GAS ACT - WELL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Act text

OIL AND GAS ACT - WELL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
                  Act of Mar. 22, 2010, P.L. 169, No. 15              Cl. 58
                             Session of 2010
                               No. 2010-15

     SB 297

                                  AN ACT

     Amending the act of December 19, 1984 (P.L.1140, No.223),
        entitled "An act relating to the development of oil and gas
        and coal; imposing duties and powers on the Department of
        Environmental Resources; imposing notification requirements
        to protect landowners; and providing for definitions, for
        various requirements to regulate the drilling and operation
        of oil and gas wells, for gas storage reservoirs, for various
        reporting requirements, including certain requirements
        concerning the operation of coal mines, for well permits, for
        well registration, for distance requirements, for well casing
        requirements, for safety device requirements, for storage
        reservoir obligations, for well bonding requirements, for a
        Well Plugging Restricted Revenue Account to enforce oil and
        gas well plugging requirements, for the creation of an Oil
        and Gas Technical Advisory Board, for oil and gas well
        inspections, for enforcement and for penalties," further
        providing for well reporting requirements.

        The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     hereby enacts as follows:

        Section 1.  Section 212 of the act of December 19, 1984
     (P.L.1140, No.223), known as the Oil and Gas Act, amended July
     2, 1992 (P.L.365, No.78), is amended to read:
      Section 212.  Well reporting requirements.
        (a)  [Every] Except as provided in subsection (a.1), every
     well operator shall file with the department, on a form provided
     by the department, an annual report specifying the amount of
     production on the most well-specific basis available. Annual
     reports shall also specify the status of each well; however, in
     subsequent years, only changes in the status need be reported.
     The [department shall keep all such reports confidential for
     five years: Provided, however, That the] Commonwealth shall have
     the right to utilize such information in enforcement
     proceedings, in making designations or determinations under
     section 1927-A of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175),
     known as The Administrative Code of 1929, or in aggregate form
     for statistical purposes.
        (a.1)  Every operator of a well which produces gas from the
     Marcellus Shale formation shall file with the department, on a
     form provided by the department, a semiannual report specifying
     the amount of production on the most well-specific basis
     available. The initial report required under this subsection
     shall be filed with the department on or before August 15, 2010,
     and shall include production data from the preceding calendar
     year. Initial reports shall also specify the status of each
     well; however, in subsequent reports, only changes in the status
     must be reported. Subsequent semiannual reports shall be filed
     with the department on or before February 15 and August 15 of
     each year and shall include production data from the preceding
     reporting period. The Commonwealth shall have the right to
     utilize such information in enforcement proceedings, in making
     designations or determinations under section 1927-A of the act
     of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative
     Code of 1929, or in aggregate form for statistical purposes.
     Beginning November 1, 2010, the department shall make the
     reports available on its publicly accessible Internet website.
     Any costs incurred by the department to comply with the
     requirements of this subsection shall be paid out of the fees
     collected under section 201(d).
        (b)  It shall be the duty of the well operator to keep
     records of any well drilled or altered. A record of the well
     containing such information as required by regulation shall be
     filed with the department within 30 days of cessation of
     drilling. A completion report containing such additional
     information as required by regulation shall be filed with the
     department within 30 days after the completion of the well and
     it shall be kept on file by the department. Within 90 days after
     the completion of drilling or recompletion of a well, if
     requested by the department, the well operator shall submit a
     copy of the electrical, radioactive or other standard industry
     logs if they have been run. In addition, if requested by the
     department within one year, the well operator shall file a copy
     of drill stem test charts, formation water analysis, porosity,
     permeability or fluid saturation measurements, core analysis and
     lithologic log or sample description or other similar data as
     compiled. No such information shall be required unless the well
     operator has had such information compiled in the ordinary
     course of business. No interpretation of the data is to be
     filed.
        (c)  Upon notification by the department prior to
     commencement of drilling, the well operator shall collect for
     the department additional data as the department shall specify,
     such as representative drill cuttings and samples from cores
     taken and any other such geological information that the
     operator reasonably can compile. No interpretation of the data
     is to be filed.
        (d)  All electrical, radioactive or other standard industry
     logs, drill stem test charts, formation water analyses,
     porosity, permeability or fluid saturation measurements, core
     analysis and lithologic logs or sample description or other
     similar data as compiled, required under subsection (b) or drill
     cuttings required under subsection (c) shall be retained by the
     well operator and shall be filed with the department three years
     after completion of the well. Upon request of the well operator,
     the department shall extend the date for the filing of the data,
     but the extension shall not exceed five years from the date of
     completion of the well: Provided, however, That the department
     shall have the right to utilize such information in enforcement
     proceedings, in making designations or determinations under
     section 1927-A of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175),
     known as The Administrative Code of 1929, or in aggregate form
     for statistical purposes.
        Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.

     APPROVED--The 22nd day of March, A. D. 2010.

     EDWARD G. RENDELL