Section 35-11-316 - Unitization of geologic sequestration sites; hearings on application, order; modifications(a) Upon receipt of an application under W.S. 35-11-315, the Wyoming oil and gas conservation commission shall promptly set the matter for hearing, and in addition to any notice otherwise required by law or the commission's rules, shall cause the applicant to give notice of the hearing, specifying the time and place of hearing, and describing briefly its purpose and the land and pore space affected, to be mailed by certified mail at least thirty (30) days prior to the hearing to all persons whose names and addresses are required to be listed in the application.(b) After considering the application and hearing the evidence offered in connection therewith, the Wyoming oil and gas conservation commission shall enter an order setting forth the following findings and approving the proposed plan of unitization and proposed operating plan, if any, if the commission finds that: (i) The material allegations of the application are substantially true;(ii) The purposes specified in W.S. 35-11-314 will be served by granting the application;(iii) The application outlines operations that will comply with applicable underground injection control class VI well permits, draft permits or any applications for permits and any other environmental requirements. The commission may rely on a class VI well permit issued by the department to make the findings required by this paragraph;(iv) Granting the application will facilitate the use and production of Wyoming energy resources or will utilize pore space for geologic sequestration;(v) The quantity of pore space storage capacity, and method used to determine the quantity of pore space storage capacity allocated to each separately owned tract within the unit area represents, so far as can be practically determined, each tract's actual share of the pore space included within the unit area;(vi) The method for the allocation of economic benefits provided by the use of pore space within the unit area between pore space owners; and between pore space owners and the unit operator or others is fair and reasonable. For purposes of this paragraph, federal injection fees, federal lease payments and other consideration derived from federal leases shall not be considered;(vii) The method for providing for economic benefits from the use of pore space in the unit area is fair and equitable and is reasonably designed to maximize the use of the pore space;(viii) Other requirements specified by rules or regulations adopted by the oil and gas conservation commission have been met.(c) No order of the Wyoming oil and gas conservation commission authorizing the commencement of unit operations shall become effective until the plan of unitization has been signed or in writing ratified or approved by those persons who own at least eighty percent (80%) of the pore space storage capacity within the unit area. If such consent has not been obtained at the time the commission's order is made, the commission shall, upon application, hold supplemental hearings and make findings as may be required to determine when and if the consent will be obtained. The commission shall require the applicant to give notice of a supplemental hearing by regular mail at least thirty (30) days prior to the hearing to each person owning interests in the pore space in the proposed unit area whose name and address was required by W.S. 35-11-315(a) to be listed in the application for the unit operations. If the required percentages of consent have not been obtained within a period of six (6) months from and after the date on which the order of approval is made, the order shall be ineffective and revoked by the commission, unless, for good cause shown, the commission extends that time. Any interested person may file an application with the Wyoming oil and gas conservation commission requesting an order applicable only to the proposed unit area described in the application which shall provide for the percentage of approval or ratification to be reduced from eighty percent (80%) to seventy-five percent (75%). The application shall contain the information required by W.S. 35-11-315(a) and any order of the commission entered pursuant to the application shall comply with subsection (b) of this section. Notice of the hearing on the application shall be given in the same manner and to the same persons as required by subsection (a) of this section. If the commission finds that negotiations were being conducted since July 1, 2009, or have been conducted for a period of at least nine (9) months prior to the filing of the application, that the applicant has participated in the negotiations diligently and in good faith, and that the percentage of approval or ratification required by this subsection cannot be obtained, the commission may reduce any percentage of approval or ratification required by this section from eighty percent (80%) to seventy-five percent (75%). The order shall affect only the unit area described in the application and shall operate only to approve the proposed plan of unitization and proposed operating plan and to reduce the required percentage of approval or ratification thereof and shall not change any other requirement contained in this section.(d) From and after the effective date of an order of the Wyoming oil and gas conservation commission entered under the provisions of this section, the operation of the unit area defined in the order by persons other than the unit operator or persons acting under the unit operator's authority, or except in the manner and to the extent provided in the plan of unitization approved by the order, shall be unlawful and is hereby prohibited.(e) Unless otherwise provided in this section, an order entered by the Wyoming oil and gas conservation commission under this section may be amended in the same manner and subject to the same conditions as an original order or previous agreement: provided, no amendatory order shall change the assignments of pore space storage capacity between existing pore space owners in the unit area as established by the original order or previous agreement, except with the written consent of those persons who own at least eighty percent (80%) of the pore space storage capacity in the unit area, nor change any allocation of costs as established by the original order or previous agreement, except with the written consent of those persons who own at least eighty percent (80%) of the unit pore space storage capacity. If consent has not been obtained at the time the commission order is made, the commission shall, upon application, hold supplemental hearings and make findings as may be required to determine when and if such consent will be obtained. The commission shall require the applicant to give notice of a supplemental hearing by regular mail at least thirty (30) days prior to the hearing to each person owning interests in the unit area whose name and address was required by the provisions of W.S. 35-11-315(a)(iii) to be listed in the application for the unit operations. If the required percentages of consent have not been obtained within a period of six (6) months from and after the date on which the order of approval is made, the order shall be ineffective and revoked by the commission, unless, for good cause shown, the commission extends that time. Any interested person may file an application with the Wyoming oil and gas conservation commission requesting an order applicable only to the unit area described in the application which shall provide for the percentage of approval or ratification to be reduced from eighty percent (80%) to seventy-five percent (75%). The application shall contain the information required by W.S. 35-11-315(a) and any order of the commission entered pursuant to the application shall comply with subsection (b) of this section. Notice of the hearing on the application shall be given in the same manner and to the same persons as required by subsection (a) of this section. If the commission finds that negotiations were being conducted since July 1, 2009 or have been conducted for a period of at least nine (9) months prior to the filing of the application, that the applicant has participated in the negotiations diligently and in good faith, and that the percentage of approval or ratification required by this subsection cannot be obtained, the commission may reduce any percentage of approval or ratification required by this section from eighty percent (80%) to seventy-five percent (75%). The order shall affect only the unit area described in the application and operate only to reduce the required percentage of approval or ratification necessary for amending the assignment of pore space and shall not change any other requirement contained in this section.(f) The Wyoming oil and gas conservation commission, upon its own motion or upon application, and with notice and hearing, may modify its order regarding the operation, size or other characteristic of the unit area in order to prevent or assist in preventing a substantial inequity resulting from operation of the unit, provided that no such modification may amend any permit issued under W.S. 35-11-313.(g) Any owner of pore space within a geologic sequestration site who has not been included within a unitization application or order authorizing a unit under this section, may petition for inclusion in the unit area. The petition shall be filed with the Wyoming oil and gas conservation commission and shall describe the petitioner's legal entitlement to the pore space, the location of the pore space, whether the pore space is included within any permitting area applicable to the unit area and the bases for inclusion in the unit area. The petition shall be accompanied by a deposit of money sufficient to pay all costs of the inclusion proceedings. The commission shall require the petitioner to provide notice of the filing of the petition to all persons specified in the application for the unit area under W.S. 35-11-315(a). The notice required under this subsection shall state the filing of the petition, the name of the petitioner, the location of the pore space, the action sought by the petitioner and any other information required by rule of the commission. Upon receipt of the petition and the provision of notice by the petitioner, the commission shall publish notice of a hearing, which shall describe how all persons specified in an application submitted under W.S. 35-11-315(a) may appear at a specified time and place and show cause, in writing or as otherwise provided by rules of the commission, why the petition should not be granted. The commission at the time and place mentioned in the notice shall proceed to hear the petition and all objections thereto and shall thereafter grant or deny the petition. The filing of the petition shall be deemed and taken as an assent by each and all petitioners to the inclusion in the unit of the pore space mentioned in the petition or any part thereof. If the petition is granted, the petitioner shall be considered to have been a member of the unit since its inception and, upon the payment of any costs paid by unit members, shall be entitled to a proportionate share of all economic benefits received by unit members since the inception of the unit provided that no unit modification affects any permit issued under W.S. 35-11-313. The oil and gas conservation commission shall adopt rules or orders providing for the fair and equitable determination of pore space storage capacity for each successful petitioner and the means by which successful petitioners shall be paid the economic benefits to which they are entitled under this subsection, including, if necessary, a reallocation of economic benefits among unit members.
(h) A certified copy of any order of the Wyoming oil and gas conservation commission entered under the provisions of this section shall be entitled to be recorded in the land records of the county clerk for the counties where all or any portion of the unit area is located, and the recordation shall constitute notice thereof to all persons.(j) No provision of W.S. 35-11-314 through 35-11-319 shall be construed to confer on any person the right of eminent domain and no order for unitization issued under this section shall act so as to grant to any person the right of eminent domain.(k) No order for unitization issued under this section shall: (i) Act so as to grant any person a right of use or access to a surface estate if that person would not otherwise have such a right;(ii) Diminish, impair or otherwise alter the dominance of the mineral estate over the surface estate and pore space interests;(iii) Prohibit a mineral interest owner from developing the owner's minerals above or below the unit area.(m) Orders for unitization issued under this section may accommodate and provide for the use of horizontal or directional wells that may penetrate the pore space of separate pore space estates for geologic sequestration purposes within the unit area.Amended by Laws 2024, ch. 82,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2024.Amended by Laws 2024, ch. 31,§ 1, eff. 3/5/2024.Amended by Laws 2022 , ch. 101, § 2, eff. 7/1/2023. See Laws 2022 , ch. 101, § 4.