Oil and gas: well stimulation treatments: seismic activities.

Existing law requires the State Oil and Gas Supervisor to regulate oil and gas wells and tanks and facilities attendant to oil and gas production. Existing law requires the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources to adopt regulations governing the use of well stimulation treatments, including hydraulic fracturing. Under existing regulations, after the occurrence of an earthquake of magnitude 2.7 or higher, a well operator is prohibited from performing hydraulic fracturing on a well within a specified radius until the division completes certain evaluations and is satisfied that hydraulic fracturing within that radius does not create a heightened risk of seismic activity. Under existing law, a violation of requirements relating to oil and gas wells is a crime. This bill would prohibit a well operator from conducting a well stimulation treatment following the occurrence of an earthquake of magnitude 2.5 or higher on a well that is within a radius of 10 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake until the division completes a certain evaluation and is satisfied that the well stimulation treatment does not create a heightened risk of seismic activity. The bill would also prohibit wastewater disposal wells and all well stimulation treatments within 10 miles of a recently active fault, as defined. Because a violation of these prohibitions would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.