Notices and Updates

Date Posted / Updated	Description	Click Here
6/4/2021	RULES OUTLINING PENALTIES APPROVED AND ACEPTED BY THE BOARD - At the May 26, 2021 Utah Board of Oil, Gas, and Mining hearing rules outlining penalties for oil and gas operations were approved and accepted.
3/3/2021	CHANGES TO DRILLING OPERATIONS SUSPENDED STATUS REPORTING - Operators shall file a Sundry Form 9 requesting drilling operations suspended. Prior to drilling operations resuming another sundry shall be filed notifying the intent to recommence drilling.
12/28/2020	WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANS DUE BY JANUARY 15, 2021 - Rule R649-9-2.4 requires that all operators submit an Annual Waste Management Plan to account for the disposition of produced water and other E&P wastes.
6/03/2022	TEMPORARY EXCEPTIONS TO THE GENERAL OIL AND GAS ADMINISTRATIVE RULES IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC - UPDATE: This is no longer in effect and the regular rules apply. Please click the link on the right to view the current rules. In response to the global health crisis resulting from the COVID-19 virus and the subsequent economic deterioration of the petroleum industry, the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining recognizes the need to make temporary adjustments to the General Rules governing oil and gas operations so as to minimize risk of exposure to the virus, and to provide some economic stability to industry, without sacrificing the protection of human health and the environment. Click on the icon to the right to read more about these changes in a letter from Director John Baza.
3/16/2020	COVID-19 RESPONSE - STAFF TELEWORKING - STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS - In our efforts to address COVID- 19 and per direction from the Governor's Office, the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining is implementing teleworking where possible immediately through Friday, March 27. If you have business with the Division, please call or email before coming in to make sure necessary staff is available. If you need to leave a message, staff will get back to you as soon as possible. We are taking all steps necessary to ensure we provide the same level of service, while protecting the health and well-being of our staff. Thank you for your understanding and patience during this time.
3/9/2020	WORKOVER TAX CREDIT APPLICATION PROCESS REVISED - Utah House Bills 389 and 1003 made statutory changes to the process of requesting severence tax credits for oil and gas well workovers and recompletions. The process now requires that an independent CPA report on the accuracy and validity of the expenditure amounts claimed on the Designation of Workover or Recompletion, Form 15. Click on the icon to the right for more information. The timeframe for submitting well workover tax credits was extended from 90 days to 180 days per Rule R649-2-23.
9/25/2019	REMINDER TO SUBMIT ALL LOGS WITH WELL COMPLETION REPORT - Operators are reminded that a copy of all electric and radioactivity logs that are run must be filed with a Well Completion Report, Form 8, within 30 days after the completion of of any well drilled or redrilled. This is in accordance with Rule R649-3-21. Failure to submit ALL logs within 30 days may result in the Division pursuing enforcement action.
4/24/2018	WASTE DISPOSAL AND LANDFARM PROCEDURES - The Division has observed that some waste streams are inappropriately being applied to landfarm disposal facilities. Guidelines for the use of such facilities are available under Publications/Handbooks & Guidance Documents.
4/19/2018	SECOND NOTICE - FIVE YEAR E&P WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY PERMIT RENEWAL AND BOND DUE BY JULY 1, 2018 - Rule R649-9-8 requires operators of E&P waste disposal facilities to renew their permit and post a full-cost bond by July 1, 2018. Failure to obtain a permit renewal and post a full-cost bond will result in facility closure at the time of permit expiration on July 1, 2018. The division recommends that operators submit their permit renewal applications and bond by May 15, 2018, to ensure adequate time for review. Permit renewal applications may now be submitted online via Utah ePermit.
2/13/2018	FIVE YEAR E&P WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY PERMIT RENEWAL AND BOND DUE BY JULY 1, 2018 - Rule R649-9-8 requires operators of E&P waste disposal facilities to renew their permit and post a full-cost bond by July 1, 2018. Failure to obtain a permit renewal and post a full-cost bond will result in facility closure at the time of permit expiration on July 1, 2018. The division recommends that operators submit their permit renewal applications and bond by May 15, 2018, to ensure adequate time for review.
9/11/2017	NEW GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE - New guidance documents for field operations have been created for operator use. They are available under Publications/Handbooks & Guidance Documents.
10/27/2016	AMENDED INCIDENT REPORTING RULES EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 1, 2016 - The Utah Board of Oil, Gas and Mining, on October 26, 2016, approved changes to rule R649-3-32, Incident Reporting. The effective date of the changes is November 1, 2016. Rule R649-3-32 pertains to the reporting of events involving such things as accidents, injuries, fatalities, fires, blowouts, loss of control of wells, and the unauthorized release of oil and natural gas-related product, by-product, or waste through flaring, venting, and spills. Click the icon to the right to view the rule text.
8/19/2015	PDF WELL LOGS MAY NOW BE SUBMITTED ONLINE - PDF copies of well logs are now being accepted online. Operators may submit such logs via our ePermit program through the PDF Well Log option or as attachments to a Well Completion Report. Operators submitting their well logs as PDF images will no longer be required to submit paper copies of their logs to the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining.
7/20/2015	EXECUTIVE ORDER ON GREATER SAGE-GROUSE - The Conservation Plan for Greater Sage-grouse in Utah was issued in February 2013 with the goal to protect, maintain, improve and enhance sage-grouse populations and habitats within Utah's 11 sage-grouse management areas (SGMA's). Thereafter, Governor Herbert's Executive Order Implementing the Utah Conservation Plan for Greater Sage-grouse was approved in February 2015, wherein DOGM shall coordinate with the Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) on all regulatory actions proposed for issuance within the SGMA's. Also, DOGM shall implement the recommendations of DWR subject to the statutory requirements to avoid waste of the mineral resource and protect correlative rights on private property. The Oil & Gas Program will invite DWR to participate in the onsite pre-drill evaluation for proposed locations within SGMA's. - Conservation Plan - SGMA Maps
7/13/2015	REPORT OF WATER ENCOUNTERED MUST BE SUBMITTED UPON DRILLING COMPLETION - Rule R649-3-6 requires that all operators submit a Report of Water Encountered During Drilling, Form 7, in conjuction with their Well Completion or Recompletion Report, Form 8, for all wells drilled in Utah
12/22/2014	MAINTENANCE OF WELL CELLARS AND CASING VALVES - Rule R649-3-15 requires that well cellars and casing valves be kept clean and properly maintained. Beginning April 2015, the Division will issue Notices of Violation to those operators not in compliance.
6/27/2013	AMENDED WASTE MANAGEMENT AND DISPOSAL RULES EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2013 - The Utah Board of Oil, Gas and Mining on June 26, 2013 approved the repeal of the prior R649-9 rules and the reenactment of the new R649-9 rules, with an effective date of July 1, 2013. Rule R649-9 pertains to the disposal and management of produced water and oil-field wastes. Click the icon to the right to view the rule text.
5/1/2013	INCIDENT REPORT eFORM - AMENDMENTS NOW ALLOWED - Operators using the division's Incident Report web form to report spills, blowouts, fires, and other undesirable events, may now amend existing reports previously entered into the system. Original reports should be amended when corrections are needed, rather than creating new reports for the same event. This will allow for more accurate tracking of such events.
1/24/2013	NEW SURFACE OWNER PROTECTION ACT RULES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 23, 2013 - As a result of S.B. 77 passed by the 2012 Legislature, the Board of Oil, Gas and Mining approved Rule R649-3-38, Surface Owner Protection Act, effective January 23, 2013. The key focus of S.B. 77 and the new rule is to surface land that is defined as privately owned land overlying privately owned oil and gas resources, upon which oil and gas operations are conducted. Click the icon to the right to view the rule text.
10/29/2012	NEW HYDRAULIC FRACTURING RULE EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 1, 2012 - The Utah Board of Oil, Gas and Mining has approved a hydraulic fracturing rule which has an effective date of November 1, 2012. Rule R649-3-39 requires all operators to report the amount and type of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations to the national registry website, FracFocus, within 60 days of the work being performed. Click here to review the rule. Click on the icon to the right to read Associate Director John Roger's Notice to Operators.
3/23/2011	MAPPING COORDINATES CONVERTED TO NAD83 - The Utah Oil and Gas Program converted its UTM mapping coordinates from NAD27 to NAD83 (Zone 12) effective October 18, 2011. Latitude and longitude coordinates were converted on October 26. Mapping coordinates can be downloaded here.
12/1/2009	WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANS DUE BY JANUARY 15, 2010 - Rule R649-9-2.4 requires that all operators submit an Annual Waste Management Plan to account for the disposition of produced water and other E&P wastes.
1/4/2008	PALEONTOLOGICAL INVENTORY NOW REQUIRED WITH APD - All Applications for Permit to Drill (APD) that are submitted for areas located within sensitive paleontological areas must now include either a paleontological inventory or evidence of a completed paleontological review.
1/11/2007	REPORTING UNDESIRABLE EVENTS ELECTRONICALLY - Operators reporting undesirable events, such as leaks, spills, fires, etc. can now submit their written report electronically to the division (preceded by a call to the division) by using a new Undesirable Event eForm.
10/26/2006	DRILLING PERMIT EXPIRATION DATES - Utah oil and gas well drilling permits (APDs) are generally valid for one year. It is the operator's responsibility to monitor permit expiration. Permit expiration dates can now be viewed here.
10/17/2006	EXPEDITED PROCESSING OF PERMITS - High levels of industry activity have made it impossible for the Division to honor requests from oil and gas operators and waste facility operators for expedited processing of drilling permits and other applications. Read this notice to learn more about ways to speed up the approval process.
2/8/2005	CHECKLIST FOR PREPARING PERMIT APPLICATIONS - A checklist is now available to assist operators in putting together a complete Application for Permit to Drill (APD) package.