Revised Code of Washington - RCW Title 78 Mines, Minerals, And Petroleum - Chapter 78.52 Oil And Gas Conservation

78.52.001 Declaration of purpose
It is hereby declared to be in the public interest to foster, encourage, and promote the exploration, development, production, and utilization of oil and gas ...

78.52.010 Definitions
For the purposes of this chapter, unless the text otherwise requires, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (1) "Certificate of clearance" means a ...

78.52.025 Hearings and meetings of department
The department shall hold hearings or meetings at such times and places as may be found by the department to be necessary to carry out ...

78.52.030 Employment of personnel
The department shall employ all personnel necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.[1994 sp.s. c 9 § 811; 1951 c 146 § 6.]Notes: ...

78.52.031 Conduct of hearings -- Evidence
The department may subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, and require the production of records, books, and documents for examination at any hearing or investigation conducted by ...

78.52.032 Hearing examiners
In addition to the powers and authority, either express or implied, granted to the department by virtue of the laws of this state, the department ...

78.52.033 Failure of witness to attend or testify -- Contempt
In case of failure or refusal on the part of any person to comply with a subpoena issued by the department or in case of ...

78.52.035 Attorney for department
The attorney general shall be the attorney for the department, but in cases of emergency, the department may call upon the prosecuting attorney of the ...

78.52.037 State oil and gas supervisor -- Deputy supervisors -- Employment of personnel
The department shall designate a state oil and gas supervisor who shall be charged with duties as may be delegated by the department. The department ...

78.52.040 Duty and powers of department -- In general
The department shall administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter by the adoption of policies, and all rules, regulations, and orders promulgated hereunder, and ...

78.52.045 Committee to participate in and administer federal Safe Drinking Water Act in conjunction with the departments of ecology, natural resources, and social and health services
See RCW 43.21A.445. ...

78.52.050 Rules, regulations, and orders -- Time and place of hearing -- Notices
The department may make such reasonable rules, regulations, and orders as may be necessary from time to time for the proper administration and enforcement of ...

78.52.070 Hearing upon petition -- Time for action
Any interested person shall have the right to have the department call a hearing for the purpose of taking action with respect to any matter ...

78.52.100 Records -- Copies as evidence -- Copies to be furnished
All rules, regulations, policies, and orders of the department, all petitions, copies of all notices and actions with affidavits of posting, mailing, or publications pertaining ...

78.52.120 Drilling permit required -- Notice
Any person desiring or proposing to drill any well in search of oil or gas, before commencing the drilling of any such well, shall apply ...

78.52.125 Environmental impact statement required when drilling affects surface waters of the state -- Drilling may be denied, when
Any person desiring or proposing to drill any well in search of oil or gas, when such drilling would be conducted through or under any ...

78.52.130 Waste prohibited
Waste of oil and gas, as defined in this chapter, is prohibited.[1951 c 146 § 15.] ...

78.52.140 Carbon black and carbon products -- Permit required
The use of gas from a well producing gas only, or from a well which is primarily a gas well, for the manufacture of carbon ...

78.52.150 Investigations authorized
The department shall make such investigations as it may deem proper to determine whether waste exists or is imminent or whether other facts exist which ...

78.52.155 Investigations -- Powers and duties
(1) The department shall make investigations as necessary to carry out this chapter. (2) The department shall require: (a) Identification of ownership of oil or ...

78.52.200 Development units authorized for known pools
When necessary to prevent waste, to avoid the drilling of unnecessary wells, or to protect correlative rights including those of royalty owners, the department, upon ...

78.52.205 Development units to be prescribed for pool after discovery -- Temporary development units
Within sixty days after the discovery of oil or gas in a pool not then covered by an order of the department, a hearing shall ...

78.52.210 Development units -- Size and shape
(1) The size and the shape of any development units shall be such as will result in the efficient and economical development of the pool ...

78.52.220 Development units -- Location of well
An order establishing development units for a pool shall specify the size and shape of each area and the location of the permitted well thereon ...

78.52.230 Development units -- Order must cover entire pool -- Modifications
An order establishing development units for a pool shall cover all lands determined or believed to be underlaid by such pool, and may be modified ...

78.52.240 Development units -- Pooling of interests
When two or more separately-owned tracts are embraced within a development unit, or when there are separately owned interests in all or a part of ...

78.52.245 Pooling order -- Allocation of production
A pooling order shall be upon terms and conditions that are fair and reasonable and that afford to each owner and royalty owner his or ...

78.52.250 Pooled interests in well in development unit -- Allocation of costs -- Rights of owners
(1) Each such pooling order shall make provision for the drilling and operation of a well on the development unit, and for the payment of ...

78.52.253 Pooling agreement, offer to pool, pooling order -- Fairness to nonconsenting, unleased owners
A pooling agreement, offer to pool, or pooling order is not considered fair and reasonable as applied to nonconsenting, unleased owners only, if it provides ...

78.52.255 Operations on development unit deemed operations on each tract -- Production allocated to tract deemed produced from each tract -- Shut-in well considered on each tract -- Lease on part of tract excluded from unit
(1) Operations incident to the drilling of a well upon any portion of a development unit covered by a pooling order shall be deemed, for ...

78.52.257 Dissolution of pooling order -- Interests covered by terminated lease -- Modification or termination of pooling order -- Extension of dissolution of pooling order
(1) An order pooling a development unit shall automatically dissolve: (a) One year after its effective date if there has been no production of commercial ...

78.52.260 "Wildcat" or "exploratory" well data confidential
Whenever the department requires the making and filing of well logs, directional surveys, or reports on the drilling of, subsurface conditions found in, or reports ...

78.52.270 Limitation of production to "oil allowable" -- Proration
Whenever the total amount of oil which all of the pools in this state can currently produce in accordance with good operating practices, exceeds the ...

78.52.280 Determining market demand -- No undue discrimination in proration of "allowable.
The department shall not be required to determine the reasonable market demand applicable to any single pool of oil except in relation to all pools ...

78.52.290 Limitation of production to "gas allowable" -- Proration
Whenever the total amount of gas which all of the pools in this state can currently produce in accordance with good operating practice exceeds the ...

78.52.300 Limitation of gas production from one pool
Whenever the total amount of gas which may be currently produced from all of the pools in this state has not been limited as hereinabove ...

78.52.310 Proration of allowable production in pool -- Publication of orders -- Emergency orders
Whenever the department limits the total amount of oil or gas which may be produced from any pool to an amount less than that which ...

78.52.320 Compliance with limitation or proration required
Whenever the production of oil or gas in this state or any pool therein is limited and the "oil allowable" or "gas allowable" is established ...

78.52.330 Unit operation of separately owned tracts
To assist in the development of oil and gas in this state and to further the purposes of this chapter, the persons owning interests in ...

78.52.335 Unit operation of pools
(1) The department shall upon the application of any interested person, or upon its own motion, hold a hearing to consider the need for the ...

78.52.345 Ratable purchase of oil from owners or operators of pool required
Each person now or hereafter purchasing or taking for transportation oil from any owner or producer shall purchase or take ratably without discrimination in favor ...

78.52.355 Ratable purchase of gas from owners or operators of pool required
Each person now or hereafter purchasing or taking for transportation gas produced from gas wells or from oil wells from any owner or operator shall ...

78.52.365 Enforcement of RCW 78.52.345 and 78.52.355
The department may administer and enforce RCW 78.52.345 and 78.52.355 in accordance with the procedures in this chapter for its enforcement and with the rules ...

78.52.450 Participation of public lands in unit plan
The commissioner of public lands, or other officer or board having the control and management of state land, and the proper board or officer of ...

78.52.460 Unit plan not deemed monopolistic
No plan for the operation of a field or pool of oil or gas as a unit, either whole or in part, created or approved ...

78.52.463 Suspension of operations for violation -- Notice -- Order -- Hearing -- Stay of order
(1) Any operation or activity that is in violation of applicable laws, rules, orders, or permit conditions is subject to suspension by order of the ...

78.52.467 Illegal oil, gas, or product -- Sale, purchase, etc., prohibited -- Seizure and sale -- Deposit of proceeds
(1) The sale, purchase, acquisition, transportation, refining, processing, or handling of illegal oil, gas, or product is prohibited. However, no penalty by way of fine ...

78.52.470 Objections to order -- Hearing required -- Modification of order
Any person adversely affected by any order of the department may, within thirty days from the effective date of such order, apply for a hearing ...

78.52.480 Appeal from order or decision -- Rights of department
In proceedings for review of an order or decision of the department, the department shall be a party to the proceedings and shall have all ...

78.52.490 Appeal -- How taken
Within thirty days after the application for a hearing is denied, or if the application is granted, then within thirty days after the rendition of ...

78.52.530 Violations -- Injunctions
Whenever it shall appear that any person is violating any provisions of this chapter, or any rule, regulation, or order made by the department under ...

78.52.540 Violations -- Injunctions by private party
If the department fails to bring suit within thirty days to enjoin any apparent violation of this chapter, or of any rule, regulation, or order ...

78.52.550 Violations -- Penalty
Every person who shall violate or knowingly aid and abet the violation of this chapter or any valid orders, rules and regulations issued thereunder, or ...

78.52.900 Short title
This chapter shall be known as the "Oil and Gas Conservation Act."[1951 c 146 § 2.] ...

78.52.910 Construction -- 1951 c 146
It is intended that the provisions of this chapter shall be liberally construed to accomplish the purposes authorized and provided for, or intended to be ...

78.52.920 Severability -- 1951 c 146
If any part or parts of this chapter, or the application thereof to any person or circumstances be held to be unconstitutional, such invalidity shall ...

78.52.921 Severability -- 1983 c 253
If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application ...