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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| SENATE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY YAW, BAKER, PILEGGI, RAFFERTY, WONDERLING, BROWNE, COSTA, O'PAKE, ALLOWAY, VANCE, EARLL AND SMUCKER, FEBRUARY 24, 2009 |
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| REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Amending the act of December 19, 1984 (P.L.1140, No.223), |
2 | entitled "An act relating to the development of oil and gas |
3 | and coal; imposing duties and powers on the Department of |
4 | Environmental Resources; imposing notification requirements |
5 | to protect landowners; and providing for definitions, for |
6 | various requirements to regulate the drilling and operation |
7 | of oil and gas wells, for gas storage reservoirs, for various |
8 | reporting requirements, including certain requirements |
9 | concerning the operation of coal mines, for well permits, for |
10 | well registration, for distance requirements, for well casing |
11 | requirements, for safety device requirements, for storage |
12 | reservoir obligations, for well bonding requirements, for a |
13 | Well Plugging Restricted Revenue Account to enforce oil and |
14 | gas well plugging requirements, for the creation of an Oil |
15 | and Gas Technical Advisory Board, for oil and gas well |
16 | inspections, for enforcement and for penalties," further |
17 | providing for well reporting requirements. |
18 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
19 | hereby enacts as follows: |
20 | Section 1. Section 212 of the act of December 19, 1984 (P.L. |
21 | 1140, No.223), known as the Oil and Gas Act, amended July 2, |
22 | 1992 (P.L.365, No.78), is amended to read: |
23 | Section 212. Well reporting requirements. |
24 | (a) Every well operator shall file with the department, on a |
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1 | form provided by the department, a semi-annual and an annual |
2 | report specifying the amount of production on the most well- |
3 | specific basis available. Annual reports shall also specify the |
4 | status of each well; however, in subsequent years, only changes |
5 | in the status need be reported. The department shall [keep all |
6 | such reports confidential for five years: Provided, however, |
7 | That the] make the reports available on its publicly accessible |
8 | Internet website. The Commonwealth shall have the right to |
9 | utilize such information in enforcement proceedings, in making |
10 | designations or determinations under section 1927-A of the act |
11 | of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative |
12 | Code of 1929, or in aggregate form for statistical purposes. |
13 | (b) It shall be the duty of the well operator to keep |
14 | records of any well drilled or altered. A record of the well |
15 | containing such information as required by regulation shall be |
16 | filed with the department within 30 days of cessation of |
17 | drilling. A completion report containing such additional |
18 | information as required by regulation shall be filed with the |
19 | department within 30 days after the completion of the well and |
20 | it shall be kept on file by the department. Within 90 days after |
21 | the completion of drilling or recompletion of a well, if |
22 | requested by the department, the well operator shall submit a |
23 | copy of the electrical, radioactive or other standard industry |
24 | logs if they have been run. In addition, if requested by the |
25 | department within one year, the well operator shall file a copy |
26 | of drill stem test charts, formation water analysis, porosity, |
27 | permeability or fluid saturation measurements, core analysis and |
28 | lithologic log or sample description or other similar data as |
29 | compiled. No such information shall be required unless the well |
30 | operator has had such information compiled in the ordinary |
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1 | course of business. No interpretation of the data is to be |
2 | filed. |
3 | (c) Upon notification by the department prior to |
4 | commencement of drilling, the well operator shall collect for |
5 | the department additional data as the department shall specify, |
6 | such as representative drill cuttings and samples from cores |
7 | taken and any other such geological information that the |
8 | operator reasonably can compile. No interpretation of the data |
9 | is to be filed. |
10 | (d) All electrical, radioactive or other standard industry |
11 | logs, drill stem test charts, formation water analyses, |
12 | porosity, permeability or fluid saturation measurements, core |
13 | analysis and lithologic logs or sample description or other |
14 | similar data as compiled, required under subsection (b) or drill |
15 | cuttings required under subsection (c) shall be retained by the |
16 | well operator and shall be filed with the department three years |
17 | after completion of the well. Upon request of the well operator, |
18 | the department shall extend the date for the filing of the data, |
19 | but the extension shall not exceed five years from the date of |
20 | completion of the well: Provided, however, That the department |
21 | shall have the right to utilize such information in enforcement |
22 | proceedings, in making designations or determinations under |
23 | section 1927-A of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), |
24 | known as The Administrative Code of 1929, or in aggregate form |
25 | for statistical purposes. |
26 | Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately. |
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