Title 30 — Title 30 — Mines And Minerals

Definitions. (a) As used in this act unless the context otherwise requires: (i) The term "waste" means and includes: (A) Physical waste, as that term is generally understood in the oil and gas industry; (B) The inefficient, excessive or improper use, or the unnecessary dissipatio…

Waste prohibited; power of commission to allocate allowable production. (a) The waste of oil and gas or either of them in the state of Wyoming as in this act defined is hereby prohibited. (b) Whenever in order to prevent waste the commission limits the total amount of oil and gas…

Oil and gas conservation commission; composition; expenses; hearings; director of oil and gas conservation; legal advisors. (a) The governor, director of the office of state lands and investments, the state geologist and two (2) additional members from the public at large who sha…

Oil and gas conservation commission; powers and duties; investigations; rules and regulations. (a) The Wyoming oil and gas conservation commission, herein called "the commission," has jurisdiction and authority over all persons and property, public and private, necessary to effec…

Oil and gas conservation commission; hearings; conducted by examiners; procedures. In addition to the powers and authority, either express or implied, granted to the Wyoming oil and gas conservation commission by virtue of the statutes of the state of Wyoming, the commission is h…

When hearings held before commission. (a) Notwithstanding any provision of this act, or any rule of the commission adopted pursuant to the powers granted to it by this act, the hearing on any matter or proceeding shall be held before the commission if: (i) the matter; (ii) The co…

Hearings; W.S. 30-5-105 through 30-5-107 subordinate to Administrative Procedure Act. This act shall be supplemental but subordinate to the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act (Original House Bill No. 196, 38th Legislature).

State oil and gas supervisor; appointment; duties; authority of commission to appoint other employees; payment of traveling and living expenses. To enable the commission to carry out its duties and powers under the laws of this state with respect to conservation of oil and gas, a…

Rules and regulations governing drilling units. (a) When required, to protect correlative rights or, to prevent or to assist in preventing any of the various types of waste of oil or gas prohibited by this act, or by any statute of this state, the commission, upon its own motion …

Agreements for waterflooding or other recovery operations, repressuring or pressure-maintenance operations, cycling or recycling operations; operation as a unit of 1 or more pools or parts thereof and pooling of interests in oil and gas therein; amendment of orders and agreements…

Rules of practice and procedure; hearings; emergency orders; notice; public inspection. (a) The commission shall prescribe rules and regulations governing the practice and procedure before it. (b) No rule, regulation, or order, or amendment thereof, except as otherwise provided i…

Summoning witnesses and production of record; no abridgment of rights; failure to testify. (a) The commission shall have the power to summon witnesses, to administer oaths, and to require the production of records, books, and documents for examination at any hearing or investigat…

Time within which suit to be brought by person adversely affected; appeals; procedure. (a) Any person adversely affected by and dissatisfied with any rule, regulation, or order made or issued hereunder, may within ninety (90) days after the entry thereof bring a civil suit or act…

Suits by commission for violation or threatened violation of act; restraining violation; recovery of penalties. Whenever it appears that any person is violating or threatening to violate any provision of this act or any rule, regulation, or order of the commission, the commission…

well; fee. Notice of intention and permit required to drill A person desiring to drill a well in search of oil or gas shall notify the commission of such intent on a form prescribed by the commission, and shall pay a fee established by the commission in accordance with W.S. 30-5-…

Disposition of monies; permissible expenditures; payment of expenses; charge assessed on value of oil or gas produced. (a) Civil penalties collected under this act shall be paid to the state treasurer and credited as provided in W.S. 8-1-109. All other monies collected by the com…

Construction of act generally. It is not the intent or purpose of this law to require, permit, or authorize the commission or supervisor to prorate or distribute the production of oil and gas among the fields of Wyoming on the basis of market demand. This act shall never be const…

Applicability of act. The state of Wyoming being a sovereign state and not disposed to jeopardize or surrender any of its sovereign rights, this act shall apply to all lands in the state of Wyoming lawfully subject to its police powers; provided, it shall apply to lands of the Un…

Penalties for violation of act, orders of commission; penalties cumulative. (a) Any person who violates any provision of this act or who after either actual or constructive notice thereof from the commission or its representative violates any rule, regulation, or order of the com…

Additional forfeiture or civil penalty for flaring of gas in excess of amounts permitted by order of commission. (a) Whenever under the provisions of W.S. 30-5-119 a forfeiture or civil penalty is imposed for the flaring of gas in excess of the amounts permitted by an order of th…

Waste of natural gas prohibited. The use, consumption, burning or escape into the atmosphere of natural gas taken or drawn from any natural gas well or wells, or borings from which natural gas is produced for the products where such natural gas is burned, consumed or otherwise wa…

Penalty for violation of sections 30-5-121 and Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) or more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00)…

[Repealed or reserved.]

Purchase or taking ratably oil and gas for transportation without discrimination in favor of any owner or producer; oil. Each person now or hereafter purchasing or taking for transportation oil from any owner or producer, shall purchase or take ratably without discrimination in f…

Purchase or taking ratably oil and gas for transportation without discrimination in favor of any owner or producer; gas. Each person now or hereafter purchasing or taking for transportation gas produced from gas wells or from oil wells from any owner or producer shall purchase or…

Purchase or taking ratably oil and gas for transportation without discrimination in favor of any owner or producer; oil and gas conservation commission to administer. In addition to the powers and authority, either expressed or implied, granted to the Wyoming oil and gas conserva…

Payment of penalties. Unless otherwise provided by law, all civil or administrative fines or penalties collected under this article shall be paid over to the state treasurer to be credited to the public school fund of the county in which the violation for which the fine or penalt…

Unitization of areas to restore or enhance the microbial conversion of hydrocarbon substrates to methane gas; purposes; application; contents. (a) Any interested person may file an application with the commission requesting an order authorizing well and reservoir injections to re…

Oil and gas bonding; rules for operators; requirements; reports; assessments. (a) The commission shall promulgate rules to establish bonding options in addition to those specified in W.S. 30-5104(d)(i)(D) for operators requiring bonds for producing oil or gas in Wyoming. The prog…

compact. Governor authorized to join in interstate The governor of the state of Wyoming is hereby authorized for and in the name of the state of Wyoming to join with the other states in the interstate compact to conserve oil and gas, which was executed in the city of Dallas, Texa…

Authority of governor to execute agreements; provision for withdrawal from compact. The governor of the state of Wyoming is further authorized and empowered, for and in the name of the state of Wyoming to execute agreements for the further extension of the expiration date of said…

Governor designated official representative; authority to appoint assistant; authority and oath of assistant; removal. The governor shall be the official representative of the state of Wyoming in the compact to conserve oil and gas, and shall exercise and perform for the state al…

Payment for production; time for payment; payor. (a) The proceeds derived from the sale of production from any well producing oil, gas or related hydrocarbons in the state of Wyoming shall be paid to all persons legally entitled thereto, except as hereinafter provided, commencing…

payments. Payment for production; interest on late Any delay in determining any person legally entitled to an interest in the proceeds from production shall not affect payments to all other persons entitled to payment. In instances where payment cannot be made for any reason with…

Payment for production; penalty for violation; jurisdiction; costs and fees. (a) Any lessee or operator, purchaser or other party legally responsible for payment who violates the provisions of this article is liable to the person or persons legally entitled to proceeds from produ…

(a) Definitions. As used in this act: (i) "Lessee" means the person entitled under an oil and gas lease to drill and operate wells, paying the lessor a royalty and retaining the remainder, known as the working interest. The lessee pays all costs of production out of his interest,…

royalties. "This act" means W.S. 30-5-301 through 30-5-305. Collection; reporting and remittance of (a) Unless otherwise expressly provided for by specific language in an executed written agreement, "royalty", "overriding royalty", "other nonworking interests" and "working intere…

(b) "Person" means any person, firm, association or corporation who drills or is responsible for drilling holes for the purpose of exploration or development of these minerals. (c) "Plugging, sealing and capping upon abandonment" means any hole drilled shall be abandoned in the f…

(a) Definitions. As used in this act: (i) "Commission" means the Wyoming oil and gas conservation commission and its authorized employees; (ii) "Compensate" and "compensation" mean monetary payment or other consideration that may include, but is not limited to, the furnishing of …

Entry upon land for oil and gas operations and nonsurface disturbing activities; notice; process; surety bond or other guaranty; negotiations. (a) Any oil and gas operator having the right to any oil or gas underlying the surface of land may locate and enter the land for all purp…

Application for permit drill; additional notice. (a) Before an application for a permit to drill is approved by the commission, the oil and gas operator shall file a statement with the commission, including the surface owner's name, contact address, telephone number and any other…

Surety bond or guaranty; approval; objections; release of surety bond or guaranty. (a) The surety bond or other guaranty required under W.S. 30-5-402(c)(iv) shall be executed by the oil and gas operator, or a bonding company acceptable to the commission. Other forms of guaranty a…

Surface damage and disruption payments; penalty for late payment. (a) The oil and gas operator shall pay the surface owner as follows: (i) A sum of money or other compensation equal to the amount of damages sustained by the surface owner for loss of production and income, loss of…

Surface damage negotiations; notice of damages to oil and gas operator; right to bring action. (a) If the oil and gas operator has commenced oil and gas operations in the absence of any agreement for compensation for all damages, a surface owner shall give written notice to the o…

Remedies cumulative. The remedies provided by this act do not preclude any person from seeking other remedies allowed by law, nor does this act diminish rights previously granted by law or contract.

Waiver. A surface owner may waive any rights afforded under this act by providing a written waiver of rights to the oil and gas operator, identifying which rights have been waived.

Statute of limitations for civil action. A surface owner entitled to bring an action for damages under this act, or to seek any other remedy at law for damages caused by oil and gas operations, shall bring such action within two (2) years after the damage has been discovered, or …

Applicability. This act shall not apply to a public utility regulated by the Wyoming public service commission or to a natural gas pipeline regulated by the federal energy regulatory commission.

sites. Oil and gas activities at geologic sequestration Nothing in W.S. 35-11-313 shall be deemed to affect the otherwise lawful right of a surface or mineral owner to drill or bore through a geologic sequestration site as defined by W.S. 35-11-103(c)(xxi), if done in accordance …

Certification of carbon dioxide incidentally stored during enhanced recovery operations. (a) If there is production of oil, gas or both from enhanced recovery operations under a commission order entered pursuant to W.S. 30-5-110 utilizing the injection of carbon dioxide, the comm…