(a) The operator of a well or production facility shall notify the supervisor or the district deputy, in writing, in the form that the supervisor or the district deputy may direct, of the sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance, exchange, or other disposition of the well or production facility by the operator of the well or production facility as soon as is reasonably possible, but in no event later than the date that the sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance, exchange, or other disposition becomes final. The operator shall not be relieved of responsibility for the well or production facility until the supervisor or the district deputy acknowledges the sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance, exchange, or other disposition, in writing, and the person acquiring the well or production facility is in compliance with Section 3202. The operator’s notice shall contain all of the following information:

(1) The name and address of the person to whom the well or production facility was or will be sold, assigned, transferred, conveyed, exchanged, or otherwise disposed.

(2) The name and location of the well or production facility, and a description of the land upon which the well or production facility is situated.

(3) The date that the sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance, exchange, or other disposition becomes final.

(4) The date when possession was or will be relinquished by the operator as a result of that disposition.

(b) (1) Upon request of the supervisor, the former operator shall, within 15 days, provide copies of the documents recorded with a governmental office involving the sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance, exchange, or other disposition of the well or production facility to the division.

(2) If after reviewing documents submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) the division determines additional documentation is needed to validate the sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance, exchange, or other disposition of the well or production facility, the division shall notify the former operator.

(3) Upon receiving notice pursuant to paragraph (2), the former operator shall, within 30 days, provide documents necessary to identify the operator of the well or production facility to the division. If the documents are not otherwise publicly available, the former operator may redact information from the documents before submitting them to the division if the division agrees the information is not relevant to identification of the current operator of the well or production facility.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 771, Sec. 11. (AB 1057) Effective January 1, 2020.)