Regulation of Operations
Cal. PRC § 3238
California Statutes
(
a) For oil and gas produced in this state from a well that qualifies under
Section or that has been inactive for a period of at least the preceding five consecutive years, the rate of the charges imposed pursuant to Sections and shall be reduced to zero for a period of years. The supervisor or district deputy shall not permit an operator to undertake any work on wells qualifying under
Section unless the mineral rights owner consents, in writing, to the work plan. (
b) An operator who undertakes any work on a well qualifying under
Section shall have up to days from the date the operator receives written consent from the supervisor to evaluate the well. On or before the day evaluation period ends, the operator shall file with the supervisor a bond or security in an amount specified in
Section 3204, 3205, or 3205.1, in accordance with the requirements of whichever of those sections is applicable to the well, if the well operations are to continue for a period in excess of the 90-day evaluation period. The conditions of the bond shall be the same as the conditions stated in
Section 3204. (
c) A party may plug and abandon a well that qualifies under
Section by obtaining all necessary rights to the well. That party shall be subject to the requirements of this
chapter as an operator of the well, file with the supervisor the appropriate bond or security in an amount specified in