(a) Notwithstanding Sections 3204 and 3205, a person who engages in the drilling, redrilling, or deepening, or in any operation permanently altering the casing, of one or more wells located on submerged lands under ocean waters within the jurisdiction of this state, shall file with the supervisor a blanket indemnity bond for one million dollars ($1,000,000) to cover all his or her operations in drilling, redrilling, deepening, or permanently altering the casing in any of his or her wells located on those submerged lands. The bond shall be executed by the person, as principal, and by an authorized surety company, as surety, and the conditions of the bond shall be the same as the conditions stated in Section 3204, except for the difference in the amount.

(b) In addition to providing the bond required by subdivision (a), a person who operates one or more wells that are located on tide or submerged lands within the jurisdiction of this state shall provide an additional amount of security acceptable to the supervisor, covering the full costs of plugging and abandoning all of the operator’s wells. The supervisor shall determine the amount of the security required of each operator, based on his or her determination of the reasonable costs of that plugging and abandonment, after providing the operator with an opportunity to submit a cost estimate for consideration by the supervisor. The supervisor may not adjust the amount of security required of each operator more frequently than once every three years, to reflect changes in those costs. An operator may self-insure this security obligation if the supervisor, at his or her discretion, determines that the operator has sufficient financial resources to plug and abandon the wells for which the operator is responsible. The security shall remain in effect until all wells are plugged and abandoned in accordance with Section 3208, but the supervisor shall reduce the amount of the security required of an operator to reflect reduced obligations as wells are plugged and abandoned.

(c) If the state lease or other agreement that sets forth obligations or performance requirements under the lease provides security that is equal to, or greater than, the total of the additional security required pursuant to subdivision (b), plus all other liabilities under the lease or other agreement, the supervisor shall not require the additional security.

(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 607, Sec. 2. (SB 1147) Effective January 1, 2019.)