ARTICLE 2. Administration [3100. - 3115.]

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC 2.

in effect

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 3100. Section 3100.

For the purposes of this chapter, the state is divided into districts, the number and boundaries of which shall be fixed by the director. The director and the supervisor shall have the authority to redefine the districts as needed to ensure the efficient administration of this chapter. The director and the supervisor shall solicit public input before revising the districts.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 3101. Section 3101.

The supervisor shall appoint one chief deputy and at least one district deputy for each of the districts provided for in this chapter, and shall prescribe their duties.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 3103. Section 3103.

The chief deputy shall be a competent engineer or geologist, preferably licensed in the state, and experienced in the development and production of oil and gas.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 3104. Section 3104.

Each district deputy shall be a competent engineer or geologist, preferably licensed in the state, and experienced in the development and production of oil and gas.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 3105. Section 3105.

An office under the supervision of a district deputy may be maintained in each district. The office shall be conveniently accessible to the oil and gas operators in the district.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 3106. Section 3106.

(a) The supervisor shall so supervise the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of wells and the operation, maintenance, and removal or abandonment of tanks and facilities attendant to oil and gas production, including pipelines not subject to regulation pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 51010) of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 5 of the Government Code that are within an oil and gas field, so as to prevent, as far as possible, damage to life, health, property, and natural resources; damage to underground oil and gas deposits from infiltrating water and other causes; loss of oil, gas, or reservoir energy, and damage to underground and surface waters suitable for irrigation or domestic purposes by the infiltration of, or the addition of, detrimental substances. (b) The supervisor shall also supervise the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of wells so as to permit the owners or operators of the wells to utilize all methods and practices known to the oil industry for the purpose of increasing the ultimate recovery of underground hydrocarbons and which, in the opinion of the supervisor, are suitable for this purpose in each proposed case. To further the elimination of waste by increasing the recovery of underground hydrocarbons, it is hereby declared as a policy of this state that the grant in an oil and gas lease or contract to a lessee or operator of the right or power, in substance, to explore for and remove all hydrocarbons from any lands in the state, in the absence of an express provision to the contrary contained in the lease or contract, is deemed to allow the lessee or contractor, or the lessee’s or contractor’s successors or assigns, to do what a prudent operator using reasonable diligence would do, having in mind the best interests of the lessor, lessee, and the state in producing and removing hydrocarbons, including, but not limited to, the injection of air, gas, water, or other fluids into the productive strata, the application of pressure heat or other means for the reduction of viscosity of the hydrocarbons, the supplying of additional motive force, or the creating of enlarged or new channels for the underground movement of hydrocarbons into production wells, when these methods or processes employed have been approved by the supervisor, except that nothing contained in this section imposes a legal duty upon the lessee or contractor, or the lessee’s or contractor’s successors or assigns, to conduct these operations. (c) The supervisor may require an operator to implement a monitoring program, designed to detect releases to the soil and water, including both groundwater and surface water, for aboveground oil production tanks and facilities. (d) To best meet oil and gas needs in this state, the supervisor shall administer this division so as to encourage the wise development of oil and gas resources.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 3106.1. Section 3106.1.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, and notwithstanding any notice of intention, supplemental notice, well stimulation treatment permit, or similar authorization issued by the supervisor or district deputy, a local entity may, by ordinance, prohibit oil and gas operations or development in its jurisdiction or impose regulations, limits, or prohibitions on oil and gas operations or development that are more protective of public health, the climate, or the environment than those prescribed by a state law, regulation, or order. These limitations or prohibitions may include, but are not limited to, limitations or prohibitions related to the methods of oil and gas operations or development and the locations of oil and gas operations or development. (b) If a local entity limits or prohibits oil and gas operations or development of an owner or operator pursuant to subdivision (a), the owner or operator shall be responsible for plugging and abandoning its wells, decommissioning attendant production facilities, and related measures, pursuant to the rules of this division. (c) For purposes of this section, “local entity” means a city, county, or city and county, including a charter city, county, and city and county.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 3106.5. Section 3106.5.

Acting with the approval of the director, the supervisor may annually expend, from the amount appropriated to the division, up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) to support activities at the West Kern Oil Museum.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 3107. Section 3107.

A district deputy in each district, designated by the supervisor, shall collect all necessary information regarding the oil and gas wells in the district, with a view to determining the presence of oil and gas sands and the location and extent of strata bearing water suitable for irrigation or domestic purposes that might be affected. The district deputy shall prepare maps and other accessories necessary to determine the presence of oil and gas sands and the location and extent of strata bearing water suitable for irrigation or domestic purposes or surface water suitable for those purposes. This work shall be done with the view to advising the operators as to the best means of protecting the oil and gas sands and the water-bearing strata and surface water, and with a view to aiding the supervisor in ordering tests or repair work at wells. All this data shall be kept on file in the office of the district deputy of the respective district.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 3108. Section 3108.

(a) On or before the first day of October of each year the supervisor shall make public, for the benefit of all interested persons, a report in writing showing: (1) The total amounts of oil and gas produced in each county in the state during the previous calendar year. (2) The total cost of the division for the previous fiscal year, including an accounting of any General Fund moneys appropriated and used for plugging and abandonment of wells, decommissioning of facilities, and site remediation, or appropriated and used to facilitate those activities. (3) The total amount delinquent and uncollected from any assessments or charges levied pursuant to this chapter. (b) The report shall also include such other information as the supervisor deems advisable.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 3108.5. Section 3108.5.

(a) (1) On or before July 1, 2026, the supervisor shall make all public information collected or maintained by the division, with priority given to well records, well logs, notices of intention, supplementary notices, field reports, inspection reports, correspondence, and other materials, readily available to the public on the division’s internet website, except well records required to be held as confidential information pursuant to Section 3234. All online materials shall be organized by well, operator, or project, and searchable. (2) On or before July 1, 2024, the supervisor shall make all notices of violation and orders of the supervisor readily available to the public on the division’s internet website. (b) The supervisor shall make continuous progress towards meeting the requirements of subdivision (a) and the materials readily available to the public online shall steadily increase. Priority shall be given to public information regarding well records, well logs, notices of intention, notices of violation, supplementary notices, field reports, inspection reports, and correspondence previously available on the division’s internet website and documents associated with wells that have not been plugged and abandoned. (c) (1) The supervisor shall, commencing July 1, 2023, provide an annual update to the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water on progress made toward meeting the requirements of subdivision (a). (2) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under paragraph (1) is inoperative on July 1, 2027, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 3109. Section 3109.

The supervisor may publish any publications, reports, maps, or other printed matter relating to oil and gas, for which there may be public demand. If these publications, reports, maps, or other printed matter are sold, they shall be sold at cost, and the proceeds shall be deposited to the credit of the Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Administrative Fund.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 3110. Section 3110.

All money paid to the Treasurer pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 3400) shall be deposited to the credit of the Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Administrative Fund, which is hereby established in the State Treasury, for expenditure as provided in Section 3401.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 3111. Section 3111.

(a) All money received in repayment of repair work done as provided in this chapter shall be returned and credited to the Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Administrative Fund for expenditure as provided in Section 3401. (b) All miscellaneous revenues from oil and gas wells and from real and personal property acquired by the supervisor in the course of carrying out this chapter shall be credited to the Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Administrative Fund for expenditure as provided in Section 3401.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 3112. Section 3112.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this code or of law and except as provided in the State Building Standards Law, Part 2.5 (commencing with Section 18901) of Division 13 of the Health and Safety Code, on and after January 1, 1980, the supervisor or the Division of Oil and Gas shall not adopt nor publish a building standard as defined in Section 18909 of the Health and Safety Code unless the provisions of Sections 18930, 18933, 18938, 18940, 18943, 18944, and 18945 of the Health and Safety Code are expressly excepted in the statute under which the authority to adopt rules, regulations, or orders is delegated. Any building standard adopted in violation of this section shall have no force or effect. Any building standard adopted before January 1, 1980, pursuant to this code and not expressly excepted by statute from such provisions of the State Building Standards Law shall remain in effect only until January 1, 1985, or until adopted, amended, or superseded by provisions published in the State Building Standards Code, whichever occurs sooner.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 3113. Section 3113.

(a) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the division shall, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, annually prepare and transmit to the Legislature a report of all of the following information statewide and by district: (1) The number of shall-witness and may-witness operations performed. The number of each type of may-witness operation as identified by law or regulation included in the total shall be provided. (2) The number of shall-witness and may-witness operations performed that were witnessed by the division in person. The number of each type of may-witness operation as identified by law or regulation included in the total shall be provided. (3) The number of shall witness and may-witness operations performed where division personnel did not witness the operations in person and witnessed the operations remotely. The number of each type of may-witness operation as identified by law or regulation included in the total shall be provided. (4) The number of shall-witness and may-witness operations performed on critical wells. The number of each type of may-witness operation as identified by law or regulation included in the total shall be provided. (5) The number of shall-witness and may-witness operations performed on critical wells that were witnessed by the division in person. The number of each type of may-witness operation as identified by law or regulation included in the total shall be provided. (6) The number of shall-witness and may-witness operations performed on critical wells where division personnel did not witness the operations in person and witnessed the operations remotely. The number of each type of may-witness operation as identified by law or regulation included in the total shall be provided. (7) A complete list of all shall-witness operations where division personnel did not witness the operations in person and witnessed the operations remotely. Information about each operation, including, but not limited to, the type of operation, the date, location, API number, and district, shall be included. The division shall maintain a written justification for each remote witnessing of shall-witness operations and provide it upon request. (b) (1) The division is authorized to witness may-witness operations remotely. The division shall prioritize witnessing of may-witness operations in person to the maximum extent possible. (2) This subdivision shall become inoperative on January 1, 2028. (c) The supervisor may, only in writing and only on a case-by-case basis, authorize division personnel to witness shall-witness operations remotely. The supervisor shall not delegate the authority to approve witnessing of these shall-witness operations remotely. All written authorizations for division personnel to witness shall-witness operations remotely shall be maintained and available to the public upon request. (d) The supervisor shall not set any positive numerical quotas for division personnel to witness operations remotely. The supervisor shall not provide a blanket authorization for remote witnessing of shall-witness operations. The supervisor shall provide written guidance to division personnel on minimum standards for remote witnessing of shall-witness and may-witness operations. (e) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) “Critical well” has the same meaning as in Section 1720 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, or a successor regulation. (2) “May-witness” means an operation performed that by law the division is authorized to witness. (3) “Shall-witness” means an operation performed that by law the division is required to witness. (4) “Witnessed by the division in person” means the operation is witnessed by division personnel who were physically present at the location when the operation was performed. (5) “Witnessed the operations remotely” or “witness the operations remotely” or “witnessing the operations remotely” means the viewing or reviewing of video, livestream, photographic, or other materials or evidence of the conduct of the operation during or after the operation was conducted without the division personnel being physically present at the location when the operation was performed. (f) It is the policy of the state that division personnel witness operations in person that are critical to ensuring public and environmental health and safety, that the presence of division personnel in the field to regularly observe operations under the division’s jurisdiction is of utmost importance, and that division staffing levels be set and maintained to ensure this policy is met.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 3114. Section 3114.

(a) By July 30, 2019, and annually thereafter, the Department of Conservation, in consultation with the State Water Resources Control Board, shall report to the fiscal and relevant policy committees of the Legislature on the Underground Injection Control Program. The report shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following about activities in the previous 12 months: (1) The number and location of underground injection control project approvals issued by the department, including projects that were approved but subsequently lapsed without having commenced injection. (2) The monthly average number of pending project applications. (3) The average length of time to obtain an underground injection control project approval from date of receipt of complete application to the date of issuance. (4) The average amount of time to review an underground injection control project proposal by the division and the average combined review time by the State Water Resources Control Board and regional water quality control boards for each proposed underground injection control project. (5) The number of project proposals pending for over one year. (6) A list of pending aquifer exemptions, if any, and their status in the review process. (7) The average length of time to process an aquifer exemption and the average amount of time to review a proposed aquifer exemption by the division and the average combined review time by the State Water Resources Control Board and regional water quality control boards for each aquifer exemption proposal. (8) The number and description of underground injection control related violations identified. (9) The number of enforcement actions taken by the department. (10) The number of shut-in orders or requests to relinquish permits and the status of those orders or requests. (11) The number, classification, and location of staff with work related to underground injection control. (12) The number of staff vacancies for positions associated with underground injection control. (13) Any state or federal legislation, administrative, or rulemaking changes to the program. (14) The number of underground injection control projects reviewed for compliance with statutes and regulations in each district and a summary of findings from project reviews completed during the reporting period, including any steps taken to address identified deficiencies. (15) The number of underground injection control projects that have not been reviewed for compliance with applicable statutes and regulations within the prior two years. (16) Summary of significant milestones in their compliance schedule agreed to with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, as indicated in the March 9, 2015, letter to the division and the state board from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, including, but not limited to, regulatory updates, evaluations of injection wells, and aquifer exemption applications. (17) Summary of activities undertaken by the underground injection control review panel established pursuant to Section 46 of Chapter 24 of the Statutes of 2015. (b) This section shall become inoperative on October 1, 2029, and, as of January 1, 2030, is repealed.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 3115. Section 3115.

On or before July 1, 2023, the division shall develop and implement an education and outreach program to provide training to local governmental entities on materials collected and maintained by the division related to oil and gas operations.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026