Bill > SB1472

This bill requires oil and gas operators to provide surface rights owners with at least 30 days' written notice before any proposed transfer of an operator, lease, or well interest that affects their land, and upon request, operators must share due diligence materials, mechanical integrity reports, environmental assessments, well status documents, estimated plugging and site restoration costs, and financial assurance instruments with the surface owner. Surface owners are granted the right to participate in Corporation Commission proceedings concerning transfer approvals, plugging orders, enforcement of due diligence, and requests for additional financial assurance, and they can file petitions alleging inadequate due diligence, request stays on transfers, seek additional financial assurance, or file complaints about notice or disclosure violations, and can also pursue civil court actions for injunctions, damages, and attorney fees, with operators prohibited from retaliating against surface owners for exercising these rights, and operators are obligated to provide accurate disclosures, maintain communication, cooperate with inspections, respond to documentation requests, and fulfill plugging and restoration obligations. The Corporation Commission is empowered to investigate violations, issue corrective orders, impose penalties, and require additional financial assurance, ensuring surface owners have access to administrative hearings and timely resolutions, and this bill clarifies that it does not limit existing common law rights or other remedies available to surface owners, with the act set to become effective on November 1, 2026.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=sb1472&Session=2600