(A) No person shall plug and abandon a well without having a permit to do so issued by the chief of the division of oil and gas resources management. The permit shall be issued by the chief in accordance with this chapter and shall be valid for a period of twenty-four months from the date of issue.

(B) Application by the owner for a permit to plug and abandon shall be filed as many days in advance as will be necessary for an oil and gas resources inspector or, if the well is located in a coal bearing township, both a deputy mine inspector and an oil and gas resources inspector to be present at the plugging. The application shall be filed with the chief upon a form that the chief prescribes and shall contain the following information:

(1) The name and address of the owner;

(2) The signature of the owner or the owner's authorized agent. When an authorized agent signs an application, it shall be accompanied by a certified copy of the appointment as that agent.

(3) The location of the well identified by section or lot number, city, village, township, and county;

(4) Designation of well by name and number;

(5) The total depth of the well to be plugged;

(6) The date and amount of last production from the well;

(7) Other data that the chief may require.

(C) Except as otherwise provided in division (E)(2)(a) of section 1509.071 of the Revised Code, if oil or gas has been produced from the well, the application shall be accompanied by a fee of two hundred fifty dollars. If a well has been drilled in accordance with law and the permit is still valid, the permit holder may receive approval to plug the well from an oil and gas resources inspector so that the well can be plugged and abandoned without undue delay. Unless waived by an oil and gas resources inspector, the owner of a well or the owner's authorized representative shall notify an oil and gas resources inspector at least twenty-four hours prior to the commencement of the plugging of a well. No well shall be plugged and abandoned without an oil and gas resources inspector present unless permission has been granted by the chief. The owner of a well that has produced oil or gas shall give written notice at the same time to the owner of the land upon which the well is located and to all lessors that receive gas from the well pursuant to a lease agreement. If the well penetrates or passes within one hundred feet of the excavations and workings of a mine, the owner of the well shall give written notice to the owner or lessee of that mine, of the well owner's intention to abandon the well and of the time when the well owner will be prepared to commence plugging it.

(D) An applicant may file a request with the chief for expedited review of an application for a permit to plug and abandon a well. The chief may refuse to accept a request for expedited review if, in the chief's judgment, acceptance of the request will prevent the issuance, within twenty-one days of filing, of permits for which applications filed under section 1509.06 of the Revised Code are pending. In addition to a complete application for a permit that meets the requirements of this section and the permit fee prescribed by this section, if applicable, a request shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable filing fee of five hundred dollars unless the chief has ordered the applicant to plug and abandon the well. When a request for expedited review is filed, the chief shall immediately begin to process the application and shall issue a permit within seven days of the filing of the request unless the chief, by order, denies the application.

(E) This section does not apply to a well plugged or abandoned in compliance with section 1571.05 of the Revised Code.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 225, §1, eff. 9/28/2018.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.27, SB 165, §1, eff. 6/30/2010.

Effective Date: 06-14-2000 .