DRILLING AND OPERATION OF OIL AND GAS WELLS

Oklahoma City Municipal Code ch. 37, art. III

in effect

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 37-81 Well location.

§ 37-81. - Well location. (a) No well shall be drilled nor shall any tank batteries, well facilities or equipment be located and no permit shall be issued for any well to be drilled at any location which is nearer than 300 feet to any occupied or unoccupied dwelling or any other building used or designed and intended to be used for human occupancy unless the applicant has obtained written permission for the location of the well from all owners and lessees whose dwellings or other subject buildings are within 300 feet of the proposed well. This distance shall be calculated from the well bore, tank batteries, well facilities and equipment to the closest exterior point of the dwelling or other subject building. (b) No well shall be drilled nor shall any tank batteries, well facilities or equipment be located and no permit shall be issued for any well to be drilled at any location which is nearer than 600 feet to any public building, religious building or school building unless the applicant has obtained written permission for the location of the well from the owners and lessees of such public building, religious building or school building. This distance shall be calculated from the well bore, tank batteries, well facilities and equipment to the closest exterior point of the building. (c) No well shall be drilled and no permit shall be issued for any well to be drilled at any location which is nearer than 300 feet to any fresh water well. This distance shall be calculated from the well bore to the fresh water well bore. (d) The provisions of this section shall also apply to any dwellings, public buildings, religious buildings, school buildings, or other subject buildings under construction or to any fresh water wells being drilled on the date the application for a permit is filed with the inspector. (e) The application of the provisions of this section to a proposed well shall be determined by examining the existing uses of the surrounding property as of the date the application for a permit is filed with the inspector. (Ord. No. 17916, § 1(22-24), 11-6-84; Code 1980, § 37-81; Ord. No. 18273, 1, 10-8-85)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 37-82 Location of wells in streets and alleys, blocking or closing.

§ 37-82. - Location of wells in streets and alleys, blocking or closing. No well shall be drilled, and no permit shall be issued for any well to be drilled, at any location which is within any of the streets or alleys of the City; and no street or alley shall be blocked or encumbered or closed in any drilling or production operation except upon the written approval of the inspector, and then only temporarily. (Ord. No. 17916, § 1(22-25), 11-6-84; Code 1980, § 37-82)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 37-83 Determination of routes to well site.

§ 37-83. - Determination of routes to well site. (a) At least 30 days prior to the actual commencement of any operations at the well site, the permittee shall notify the inspector in writing of the proposed date for commencement of such operations. Such notification shall also contain the following information: (1) the permittee shall identify the maximum length, width and weight of any motor vehicles and the maximum weight of the load to be carried by any motor vehicles to be used in traveling to and from the well site. (2) the permittee shall submit a complete list of the proposed routes to and from the well site for all motor vehicles to be used to travel to and from the well site. Such list shall identify any and all highways within the limits of the City proposed to be used by such motor vehicles in traveling to and from the well site. The inspector may also require any additional information which he deems necessary to evaluate the proposed routes. (b) Upon receipt of the notification required under Subsection (a), the inspector shall have 25 days to review the information submitted by the permittee. In reviewing the proposed routes to the well site, the inspector may consult with the Transportation and Engineering Divisions of the Public Works Department of the City. (c) Following review of the information submitted by the permittee, the inspector shall prepare a written order which either approves or disapproves the routes to and from the well site as proposed by said permittee. If the inspector disapproves of all or part of the proposed routes, then such inspector shall designate alternate routes which are acceptable. If the permittee disagrees with the routes as designated by the inspector, then he shall have such right of appeal as provided for by law. (d) During all drilling and production activities for the particular well, all motor vehicles used by any person to travel to and from the well site shall be restricted to the highways approved by the inspector as appropriate routes to and from the well site. (e) The inspector shall have the power and authority to amend the order designating routes to and from the well site upon his own initiative or upon application by the permittee. (Ord. No. 17916, § 1(22-26), 11-6-84; Code 1980, § 37-83)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 37-84 Fencing.

§ 37-84. - Fencing. Any person who owns, operates or maintains any producing well shall have the obligation to enclose said well, together with its surface facilities, by a sight proof fence sufficiently high and properly built to keep persons and animals out of the enclosure. All gates thereto shall be kept locked when authorized persons are not within the enclosure. Provided, however, that the Development Center, upon written application by a permittee, may designate a different type of fence to be erected if it is determined in a particular case that a sight proof fence is not necessary to protect the public health, safety and welfare and that a different type of fence would meet those objectives. (Ord. No. 27665, § 6, 8-13-24)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 37-85 Noise and other nuisances.

§ 37-85. - Noise and other nuisances. All drilling and production operations shall be conducted in such a manner as to eliminate, as far as possible, dust, noise, vibration or noxious odors, and shall be in accordance with the best available technology incident to exploration for, drilling for or production of oil, gas and other hydrocarbon substances. Proven technological improvements in exploration, drilling and production methods shall be adopted as they become available, if capable of reducing factors of nuisance and annoyance. (Ord. No. 27665, § 6, 8-13-24)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 37-86 Motive power.

§ 37-86. - Motive power. Motive power for all well pumping equipment shall be electricity. Provided, however, that in respect to wells in operation with non-electric pumping equipment prior to November 6, 1984, the Development Center shall have authority to waive the requirements of this section if it is determined in a particular case that electric pumping equipment is not necessary to protect the public health, safety or welfare. (Ord. No. 27665, § 6, 8-13-24)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 37-87 Ingress and egress.

§ 37-87. - Ingress and egress. Lease roads shall be maintained in such manner as to safely and comfortably allow for ingress and egress of City or State personnel traveling in a common passenger motor vehicle. Provided, however, that the provisions of this section shall not apply to producing wells and well sites without tank batteries which are located more than 600 feet from any building. (Ord. No. 27665, § 6, 8-13-24)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 37-88 Depositing oil products.

§ 37-88. - Depositing oil products. No person shall deposit, drain or divert into or upon any public highway, street, alley, drainage ditch, storm drain, sewer, gutter, paving, creek, river, lake or lagoon, any oil or oily liquid with petroleum content, or any mud, rotary mud, sand, water or saltwater, or in any manner permit, by seepage, overflow or otherwise, any of such substances to escape from any property owned, leased or controlled by such person and flow or be carried into or upon any public highway, street, alley, drainage ditch, storm drain, sewer, gutter, paving, creek, river, lake or lagoon within the City. (Ord. No. 27665, § 6, 8-13-24)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 37-89 Wells within watershed areas of City water reservoirs and other areas near the reservoirs.

§ 37-89. - Wells within watershed areas of City water reservoirs and other areas near the reservoirs. (a) No wells shall be permitted within 660 feet of the diversion canal at the south end of Lake Hefner, nor within 660 feet of the centerline of the inflow canal from the Canadian River to Lake Hefner, nor within 660 feet of the sedimentation basis of Lake Overholser. Under no circumstances shall a well be permitted closer than 660 feet to the high-water shoreline of a reservoir, canal, or waterway, including areas which are located outside the watershed of a City water reservoir, canal, or waterway. (b) No well shall be permitted within the watershed of a City water reservoir, canal, or waterway unless it is located on the surface of such watershed, and in no case closer than 660 feet to the high-water shoreline of said reservoir. (c) Any well permitted under Subsection (b) to be located within the watershed in which a City water reservoir, canal, or waterway is contained, or to be located outside the watershed area but within one mile of a City water reservoir, canal, or waterway shall comply with all of the then-current "Rules Controlling Drilling Operations in Watershed Areas of Oklahoma City Water Reservoirs, canal, or waterway and other Areas Near the Reservoirs and Areas Near Arcadia Lake," as adopted by the City and the Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust. In the event of any conflicts between such rules and the provisions of this chapter, the more restrictive provisions shall apply. (d) No wells shall be permitted within 660 feet of the planned future shoreline of the proposed West Elm Creek Reservoir nor within the drainage basin of the proposed West Elm Creek Reservoir except as provided in the then-current "Rules Controlling Drilling Operations in Watershed Areas of Oklahoma City Water Reservoirs, canals, or waterways and other Areas Near the Reservoirs and Areas Near Arcadia Lake," as adopted by the City and the Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust. A copy of the current "Rules Controlling Drilling Operations in Watershed Areas of Oklahoma City Water Reservoirs, canal, or waterway and other Areas Near the Reservoirs and Areas Near Arcadia Lake" is on file and may be obtained in the office of the City Clerk. (Ord. No. 27665, § 6, 8-13-24)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 37-90 Blanket bond or blanket irrevocable letter of credit required.

§ 37-90. - Blanket bond or blanket irrevocable letter of credit required. (a) Any person who drills or operates any well for the exploration, development or production of oil or gas, or as an injection or disposal well, within this City shall furnish on forms approved by the Development Center and maintain at all times a blanket bond or blanket irrevocable letter of credit in the principal sum of at least $25,000.00. Said bond or letter of credit must be executed by a reliable insurance company or bank authorized to do business in the state, as surety or creditor, and with the applicant/permittee as principal or debtor, running to the City for the benefit of the City and all persons concerned, conditioned that the applicant/permittee shall comply with the terms and conditions of this chapter in the drilling and operation of oil wells drilled or operated within the City. Said bond or letter of credit must become effective on or before the date the same is filed with the City and remain in full force and effect for at least 12 months subsequent to the expiration of the permit term and, in addition, the bond or letter of credit must be conditioned that the applicant/permittee must promptly pay all fines, penalties and other assessments imposed upon the applicant/permittee by reason of his breach of any of the terms, provisions or conditions of this chapter, and that the applicant/permittee must promptly restore the streets, sidewalks and other public property of the City which may be disturbed or damaged during the applicant/permittee's operations to their former condition; and that the applicant/permittee must promptly clear all premises of all litter, trash, waste and other substances and must, after abandonment, grade, level and restore said property to the same surface condition, as far as possible, as existed prior to commencing operations; and further that the applicant/permittee shall indemnify and hold harmless the City from any and all liability attributable to granting the permit; and that the applicant/permittee shall promptly pay all sums with respect to deductibles on covered losses under insurance policies required by this chapter. Each bond or letter of credit submitted shall cover all wells drilled or operated by said person within the City. (b) For good cause, the Development Center, after notice to and hearing for a permittee, may require the filing of a blanket bond or letter of credit in an amount higher than $25,000.00 but not to exceed $100,000.00. "Good cause" shall include, but shall not be limited to, a showing that the operator or permittee has previously violated any of the provisions of Chapter 37 of this Code. (c) The blanket bond or letter of credit required by this section shall be submitted and maintained in full force and effect at all times by all persons drilling, completing, operating, maintaining and/or producing any well located within the limits of the City, whether drilling operations were commenced on, prior or subsequent to November 6, 1984. (Ord. No. 27665, § 6, 8-13-24)

Source: City of Oklahoma City, Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ok/oklahoma_city/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=OKMUCO2020_CH37OIGA_ARTIIIDROPOIGAWEFetched: 10/28/2026