On Friday, June 20, 2014, Governor Jerry Brown signed a public resources “trailer bill:” Senate Bill 681 (“SB 681”). Section 5 of the Bill extends the implementation deadline for the Department of Conservation’s Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (“DOGGR”). The initial implementation date was set at January 1, 2015. Under the new law
Department of Conservation Issues Revised, Proposed Well Stimulation Treatment Regulations
On June 13, 2014, the Department of Conservation (“Department”) issued a public notice and posted the latest version of the proposed regulations for the use of well stimulation in oil and gas production (“Revised Proposed Regulations”). These are revisions to the permanent regulations that will go into effect on January 1, 2015. The Revised Proposed Regulations include the following, significant changes:Continue Reading Department of Conservation Issues Revised, Proposed Well Stimulation Treatment Regulations
Updated Status of Oil and Gas-related Bills in California’s Legislature
As discussed in our post on May 5, 2014, there are a number of California State Senate and Assembly bills that could impact oil and gas operations this year, if passed. Friday, May 30 was the last day to pass bills out of their house of origin to the opposite house, the Senate or
Yet Another Proposed Moratorium on Hydraulic Fracturing Fails: SB 1132 (Oil and gas: well stimulation treatments)
Yesterday, Senate Bill 1132 failed in the Senate. In a 18-16 vote, SB 1132 fell three votes short of the necessary majority. The bill was introduced by Senators Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) and Mark Leno on February 20, 2014, as reported here.
Through amendments to Public Resources Code (“PRC”) §§ 3157, 3160, 3161
Oil Severance Tax Law (SB 1017) Dies in the Senate Appropriations Committee
Last Friday, May 23, 2014, Senate Bill 1017, the Oil Severance Tax Law, failed to pass through the Senate Appropriations Committee. As a result, the bill is effectively dead for the year. SB 1017 was introduced by Senator Evans on February 14, 2014 and passed the Education Committee on April 24, 2014, as reported
Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Approves Moratorium on All Oil and Gas Activities
This past Tuesday, May 20, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to approve a permanent moratorium on oil and gas exploration and development. Santa Cruz becomes the first county in the state of California to approve such a moratorium, which includes a ban on hydraulic fracturing. The permanent moratorium in Santa
Under Scrutiny from All Sides, Brown Taps Ph.D. in Geology to Lead the DOGGR: What This Means for the Industry and SB 4’s Rollout
At last, the new Supervisor of the California Department of Conservation’s Division of Oil, Gas & Geothermal Resources (“DOGGR”) has been announced. Steven Bohlen, currently Program Director at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, will replace recently-retired former Supervisor Tim Kustic. Mr. Bohlen’s background spans numerous academic, teaching, and research positions, including stints at Texas
Current Status of Oil and Gas-related Bills in California’s Legislature
There are a number of California State Senate and Assembly bills that could impact oil and gas operations this year, if passed. Stoel Rives has a dedicated team of professionals tracking these bills. Below you will find summaries of each piece of oil and gas-related legislation.
SENATE BILLS (Status as of May 2, 2014)
SB
Carson, CA City Council Refuses to Enact Two-Year Moratorium on Oil and Gas Activity, Including Well Stimulation
This past Tuesday, the Carson City Council voted against a local moratorium on new oil and gas activity within its city limits. Last month, Carson passed a 45-day ban on all oil and gas operations, as reported in our March 20, 2014 post. The City Council could have continued the ban for up to two
More Well Stimulation Bans in Southern California
The Los Angeles City Council voted to ban well stimulation treatments within city limits by a unanimous vote in February, and is in the process of drafting ordinances to put that decision into effect. Carson, California has temporarily halted all oil and gas activity (including all new drilling and any well stimulation treatments) in response