Idaho Bills

Amends existing law regarding applications for permits or certain authorizations to drill or treat wells; to provide that the Department of Lands shall have specified responsibilities associated with spacing units and unit operations; to revise provisions regarding the integration of tracts and integration orders and to provide for the confidentiality of certain information; and to revise and to set forth provisions and procedures associated with rulemaking, complaints, application for orders, petitions, orders and appeals.

This bill streamlines the administrative permitting process for the oil and gas industry, providing certainty and clarity for developers, state agencies and members of the public who own mineral interests. Currently, a single oil and gas application in Idaho can take over 400 days to process. That same type of application would be considered and processed in 45 to 60 days in other states. The bill seeks to address that problem by clarifying the permitting process for drilling permits. The bill also brings Idaho's administrative processes into alignment with other producing states by creating a predictable decision-making framework, by setting clear timelines and by clarifying expectations for applications before the Oil and Gas Commission.

Amends existing law to provide that the Idaho Geological Survey shall preserve and use samples and records deposited with it, to provide for reports of determinations and identifications specific to the samples and records; to authorize specified uses of information derived from samples and records; to provide that the Idaho Geological Survey shall share certain information with the Idaho Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and the Department of Lands; and to provide for the sharing of records and information between the commission, the department, the Idaho Geological Survey and other state agencies.

This legislation provides for an agreement between the Idaho Geological Survey, the Idaho Department of Lands, and the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission for the sharing of mineral, oil, and gas geological records derived from exploration or production on lands within the state. The Idaho Geological Survey is the lead state agency for the collection, interpretation and disseminationofgeologicinformationpertainingtooilandgasandmineralresources, groundwater resources and geohazards for the State of Idaho. The agreement clarifies that pertinent geological records be provided to the Idaho Geological Survey to fulfill their responsibilities under Idaho law. All confidentiality conditions of any such records or information remain unchanged by this legislation and continue intact.