Welcome to the Division of Oil, Gas, & Geothermal Resources
The Division oversees the drilling, operation, maintenance, and plugging and abandonment of oil, natural gas, and geothermal wells. The regulatory program emphasizes the wise development of oil, natural gas, and geothermal resources in the state through sound engineering practices that protect the environment, prevent pollution, and ensure public safety.
The Department of Conservation is underway in its
Renewal Plan to strengthen and improve the state’s oversight of oil and gas production in California.
Oil and Gas Wells in California
All California oil and gas wells (development and prospect wells), enhanced-recovery wells, water-disposal wells, service wells (i.e. structure, observation, temperature observation wells), core-holes, and gas-storage wells, onshore and offshore (within three nautical miles of the coastline), located on state and private lands, are permitted, drilled, operated, maintained, plugged and abandoned under requirements and procedures administered by the Department of Conservation's Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR).
Geothermal Resources
Visit the
Geothermal Resources Page to view geothermal maps, download geothermal forms and publications, access GeoSteam data, and locate geothermal district offices.
Hot Topics
Aliso Canyon Update
The Department of Conservation’s Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (Division) has completed its comprehensive safety review at the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility. With safety as our top priority, the Division’s extensive
site inspections and review of Southern California Gas’s testing -- in consultation with the Lawrence Livermore, Lawrence Berkeley and Sandia National Laboratories -- was completed on January 17, 2017.
A decision about whether injection of gas into the storage facility can resume will not occur until a public meeting is held and the public has an opportunity to comment on the findings of the comprehensive safety review.
Two public meetings have been scheduled to receive public input on the safety review. Details can be found in the
public notice.
In addition to the public meetings, public comments may be submitted through Monday, February 6:
Aliso Canyon Comprehensive Safety Review
Department of Conservation
801 K Street MS 24-02
Sacramento, CA. 95814
Please join the
Division’s Aliso Canyon Updates email list to receive updates.
Test results submitted by Southern California Gas and reviewed by Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources staff are posted
on this page.
View
additional Aliso Canyon information – including biweekly reports that Southern California Gas must file on its progress toward completing the safety review.
Annual Well Stimulation Treatment Report Available
This
annual report satisfies the legislative report requirements of Senate Bill 4 (Pavley, Chapter 313, Statutes of 2013) regarding well stimulation treatment. Part 1 of the report summarizes the objective and scope of this report. Part 2 provides a response to each legislative reporting requirement. The appendices provide references and sources of the data, as well as a glossary of terms used. During the reporting period, 579 well stimulation treatments were performed, all but one in western Kern County in relatively mature oil fields.
DOC Releases Discussion Draft Gas Storage Regulations
On July 8, the California Department of Conservation (DOC), Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (Division) publicly released pre-rulemaking draft regulations (a discussion draft) for the purpose of receiving public input on the development of updates to the regulations governing the Division’s natural gas storage program.
The release of this discussion draft initiated a public comment period that ended on August 22, 2016 at 5 p.m. The comments will be reviewed and considered as the Division updates the draft regulations. Information about the process for submitting comments is included in the notice below. The Division conducted two workshops to receive verbal and written input from interested parties, in Sacramento and Woodland Hills.
Download Reports
Current News
-
Aliso Canyon Storage Facility Public Notice and Findings - Posted 1/17/2017
The Department of Conservation’s Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (Division) has completed its comprehensive safety review at the Aliso Canyon Storage Facility. With safety as our top priority, the Division’s extensive site inspections and review of Southern California Gas’s testing -- in consultation with the Lawrence Livermore, Lawrence Berkeley and Sandia National Laboratories -- was completed on January 17, 2017.
A decision about whether injection of gas into the storage facility can resume will not occur until a public meeting is held and the public has an opportunity to comment on the findings of the comprehensive safety review.
Two public meetings have been scheduled to receive public input on the safety review. Details can be found in the
public notice.
-
Annual Well Stimulation Treatment Report Available - Posted 1/4/2017
This
annual report satisfies the legislative report requirements of Senate Bill 4 (Pavley, Chapter 313, Statutes of 2013) regarding well stimulation treatment. Part 1 of the report summarizes the objective and scope of this report. Part 2 provides a response to each legislative reporting requirement. The appendices provide references and sources of the data, as well as a glossary of terms used. During the reporting period, 579 well stimulation treatments were performed, all but one in western Kern County in relatively mature oil fields.
-
DOGGR Announces New Assessment Rate - Posted 8/10/2016
The Oil and Gas Assessment rate for fiscal year 2016/17 is 36.26051 cents per barrel of oil or 10 Mcf of natural gas produced, an increase of 3.82928 cents from the previous fiscal year.
-
Underground Injection Control Report - Posted 8/01/2016
The following is now available:
-
Underground Gas Storage Rulemaking - Posted 7/08/2016
On July 8, the California Department of Conservation (DOC), Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (Division) publicly released pre-rulemaking draft regulations (Discussion Draft) for the purpose of receiving public input on the development of updates to the regulations governing the Division’s Gas Storage Program.
-
Notice to Operators: Closure of Coalinga Office - Posted 5/5/2016
The Department of Conservation’s Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources has issued a Notice to Operators regarding the closure of the coalinga office.
-
Testing Results of Aliso Canyon Wells Available - Posted 3/25/2016
The Department of Conservation’s Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources has ordered that all 114 injection wells be thoroughly tested for safety and competence before injection resumes into the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage field. The Division developed a protocol of six tests in consultation with the Lawrence Livermore and Berkeley National Laboratories. Test results are submitted by Southern California Gas, reviewed by Division staff, and then posted
on this page, which will be updated frequently. Wells must pass all tests within one year or be permanently sealed (plugged and abandoned).
Additional Aliso Canyon information – including biweekly reports Southern California Gas must file on its progress toward completing the safety review –
can be found here.
-
Oil Producer Fined $75,000 - Posted 3/18/2016
State regulators have issued a $75,000
civil penalty order to The Termo Company for illegally venting natural gas in the Aliso Canyon field. The California Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources levied $25,000 penalties for each of three violations, noting that not only did the gas venting appear to be intentional, but also that the Long Beach-based operator tried to hide it.
-
Officials Confirm Gas Leak is Sealed - Posted 2/18/2016
State regulators including the Department of Conservation’s Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (Division) on February 18, 2016 provided public notice that the leaking well (SS25) at the Aliso Canyon Gas Storage Facility in Los Angeles County has been successfully sealed.
-
State Regulators Send Aquifer Exemption Proposal to U.S. EPA - Posted 2/8/2016
The California Department of Conservation/Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (“Division”) and State Water Resources Control Board on February 8, 2016 submitted a proposal to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requesting to expand an aquifer exemption designation for the Dollie sands of the Pismo formation in the Arroyo Grande oil field. The field is in unincorporated San Luis Obispo County near the intersection of Ormonde Road and Price Canyon Road. The proposed aquifer exemption would allow the State, in compliance with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, to approve Class II injection into the identified area, either for enhanced oil recovery or for injection disposal of fluids associated with oil and gas production.
Documents related to the aquifer exemption proposal can be
found here.
Interested Parties List
To receive emailed notices about future aquifer exemption activities, please send an email to
comments@conservation.ca.gov. Please specific whether you are interested in these activties in a specific oil field, in a county or community, or on a statewide basis.
Previous News Items
Miss a news item? You can find
past news announcements here.