HELP Welcome to AOGCC’s Help webpage. Links are provided to commonly requested information. FAQs HOW DO I FIND... GETTING INVOLVED What does the AOGCC regulate? Under its enabling statutes (AS 31.05), the AOGCC regulates oil, gas, and geothermal drilling, development and production, reservoir depletion, and metering operations on all lands subject to the state’s police powers. The Commission has a robust enforcement program to ensure operator compliance (see Title 20 of the Alaska Administrative Code). It does so to protect the public interest in exploration and development of oil, gas, and geothermal resources, and to ensure greater ultimate recovery and the protection of health, safety, fresh ground waters, and the rights of all owners to recover their share of the resource. To learn more, click on About Us. How many commissioners does the AOGCC have? The AOGCC has three full time commissioners that are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the legislature on six-year staggered terms (see AS 31.05.005- AS 31.05.009). Two members of the commission constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, for the performance of a duty, or for the exercise of a power of the commission. See the commissioners' bio on this page: AOGCC About Us What is the Regulatory Process for Permitting and Tracking an Oil and Gas Well? AOGCC’s review processes include but are not limited to: review and approval of drilling and production, periodic inspection of the wells, review and approval of well completions, and consultation with operators, reservoir engineers, surface owners, as well as federal (e.g. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), state (e.g., Department of Natural Resources), and local governments. The AOGCC also reviews variance and exception requests, underground injection control permits, mechanical integrity tests, reservoir pressure reports, well status reports, gas ratio tests, remediation work plans, accident reports, spill reports, as well as change of operator or ownership. For more information, click on: How to Apply Industry Guidance Bulletins Forms section Does the AOGCC have field inspectors to verify an operator’s compliance with the drilling regulations? Yes. The AOGCC has eight (8) inspectors that rotate among the North Slope and Cook Inlet fields throughout the year. AOGCC inspections include Mechanical Integrity Tests (MIT), Blowout Prevention Equipment (BOPE) tests, safety valve tests, diverter system tests, suspended well inspections, custody transfer metering, plugging and abandonment (P&A) of wells, and other general site inspections to verify operator compliance with regulations, orders, and AOGCC directives. Is there a statutory deadline for AOGCC decisions? The AOGCC receives various filings from operators. Each regulatory decision is reached quasi judicially – which means decisions must be based on evidence of record gathered in docketed proceedings. All dockets are closely monitored. In cases where significant public interest and important issues of regulatory policy arise, the AOGCC may schedule a public hearing on a docket; and in those instances, the AOGCC must issue a decision within 30 days after the scheduled hearing. (See AS 31.05.060). What is the reconsideration and appeal process on AOGCC decisions? As provided in AS 31.05.080(a), within 20 days after written notice of the entry of an order or decision, or such further time as the AOGCC grants for good cause shown, a person affected by it may file with the AOGCC an application for reconsideration of the matter determined by it. If the notice was mailed, then the period of time shall be 23 days. An application for reconsideration must set out the respect in which the order or decision is believed to be erroneous. The AOGCC shall grant or refuse the application for reconsideration in whole or in part within 10 days after it is filed. Failure to act on it within 10 days is a denial of reconsideration. If the AOGCC denies reconsideration, upon denial, this order or decision and the denial of reconsideration are final and may be appealed to superior court. The appeal must be filed within 33 days after the date on which the AOGCC mails, or 30 days if the AOGCC otherwise distributes, the order or decision denying reconsideration, unless the denial is by inaction, in which case the appeal must be filed within 40 days after the date on which the application for reconsideration was filed. If the AOGCC grants an application for reconsideration, this order or decision does not become final. Rather, the order or decision on reconsideration will be the final order or decision of the AOGCC, and it may be appealed to superior court. That appeal must be filed within 33 days after the date on which the AOGCC mails, or 30 days if the AOGCC otherwise distributes, the order or decision on reconsideration. In computing a period of time above, the date of the event or default after which the designated period begins to run is not included in the period; the last day of the period is included, unless it falls on a weekend or state holiday, in which event the period runs until 5:00 p.m. on the next day that does not fall on a weekend or state holiday. AOGCC's Forms Visit the AOGCC Forms webpage and click on the appropriate form you need (e.g., Permit to Drill Form 10-401). AOGCC's Hearing Schedules Visit the AOGCC Events webpage to view scheduled meetings and public hearings. Approved Permits and Completed Wells Visit the AOGCC Data Miner website and click on Well History to filter information by permit number, well name, operator, and date range. Bonding Information Under AS 31.05.030(d)(4), the AOGCC is authorized to “require the furnishing of a reasonable bond with sufficient surety conditions for the performance of the duty to plug each dry or abandoned well or the repair of wells causing waste.” Bonding regulations can be found in 20 AAC 25.025. Additional information and bonding forms can be located here: How to Apply. Digital Well Log Data A variety of well log data are available for every non-confidential well drilled on State lands or in State waters. Electrical and mudlog data are available in LAS, TIF, and PDF formats. Additional data include directional surveys, cased hole logs, well testing reports, core analysis, and more. To access well log data, please complete the Data Request form, including the well name and either API number or Permit to Drill (PTD) number in the Detailed Records Requested section, and email to AOGCC Customer Service. An AOGCC representative will respond to your request via email. There is no charge to receive data. Well names, API, and PTD can be located in Data Miner Wells. Fractured Wells List in Alaska Visit the Fractured Wells webpage in AOGCC’s Data Miner website to view and download information. Historical Activities Charts The “Charts – Oil and Gas Activity” portion of AOGCC’s “Reports and Charts” page provides hyperlinks that open charts summarizing Alaska’s historical permitting, drilling, production, workover, and enforcement activities. Oil or Gas Pool Information Visit the AOGCC’s Pool Statistics website and click on the blue-colored button labeled with the pool name. For many pools, you will see a location map, general description, current production chart, and a series of buttons that open maps, lists of AOGCC Orders and references, and other information. Pressing the “CSV Production” button will download current production data as a text file in comma-delimited format. Please note that many of these pages are currently under construction and are not yet complete. Oil or Gas Well Information Visit the AOGCC Data Miner website and click on Wells to filter information by operator, well name, area, permit number, and date range. Production Data To view and download current production data, visit the Production webpage on AOGCC’s Data Miner website. Filters are provided for each column. The “Export As…” button allows you to download data in spreadsheet or comma-delimited format. Larger data sets must be downloaded as smaller portions using filters. To view a chart of the current production data, visit the AOGCC’s Pool Statistics webpage and click on the blue-colored button labeled with the pool name. Pressing the “CSV Production” button on each page will download current production data as a text file in comma-delimited format. Find Detailed Information on a Pending Hearing Matter Visit the AOGCC Events webpage to view Hearing Schedules, Public Notices and Operators' Applications. Sign up to Receive AOGCC Notices and Orders Click on this link: AOGCC Public Notices Info Page. You will be sent an email requesting confirmation to prevent others from gratuitously subscribing you. This is a hidden list, which means that the list of members is available only to the list administrator. Guidelines for Preparing Hearing Testimony and Presentations Adequate information must be provided to the Commission and the public during a hearing. The applicant bears the burden of preparing and presenting testimony of sufficient detail to establish that approval of the application is warranted and to allow the Commission to establish governing rules. This testimony must be prepared and presented by authorized representatives of the applicant, capable of addressing detailed Commission questions and comments, including, where relevant to the application. For more details, read the AOGCC Public Hearing Guidelines. Tips for Participating in Virtual Public Meetings and Hearings The AOGCC may conduct public hearings and meetings virtually, as needed. To request participation in virtual hearings and meetings, please contact aogcc.customersvc@alaska.gov and you will be provided a link to Microsoft Teams. Click on this link for tips on participating in virtual hearings and meetings. Glossary of Oil and Gas Industry and Regulatory Terms The following glossary of industry related terms have been compiled to help you become more familiar with important components of AOGCC activities, rules, regulations, directives, and orders. Administrative Approval The AOGCC issues administrative approvals adjusting or expanding upon the requirements of existing injection orders. Every injection order issued by the AOGCC includes a provision for granting (in part or whole) administrative changes to the rules of the injection order, either initiated by the operator or AOGCC. Also, AOGCC promulgated regulation 20 AAC 25.556(d) which also allows this. Aquifer Exemption Order (AEO) Upon an operator’s application, the AOGCC may, in its discretion, issue an order designating a freshwater aquifer or portion of it as an exempt freshwater aquifer, if the freshwater aquifer meets certain criteria found in 20 AAC 25.440. Area Injection Order (AIO) The AOGCC may issue an area injection order, allowing underground injection of fluids on an area basis, rather than for each well individually. See 20 AAC 25.460. Blow-Out Preventer Equipment (BOPE) BOPE is a standard safety system used on all of Alaska’s oil and gas wells during well operation. It is designed to halt the uncontrolled flow of oil, gas or water in the well if other safety measures (primarily the high pressure “mud” system) fail to do so. The AOGCC requires blowout preventers on all drill rigs and weekly tests typically witnessed by AOGCC operators. Casing and Cementing Pipe cemented in the well to seal off formation fluids or keep the hole from caving in. AOGCC’s well casing and cementing regulations can be found in 20 AAC 25.030. Conservation Order (CO) The AOGCC issues conservation orders relating to field and pool rules (20 AAC 25.520), drilling units and spacing exceptions (20 AAC 25.055). Disposal Injection Order (DIO) The underground disposal of oil field wastes and underground storage of hydrocarbons are prohibited except as adjudicated and ordered by the AOGCC under 20 AAC 25.252. Downhole Commingling Downhole commingling regulations, found in 20 AAC 25.215, are in place to prevent waste and to protect correlative rights. Operators are prohibited from producing from, or injecting into, more than one pool (a rock formation where oil and/or gas has accumulated) at a time in a wellbore without the AOGCC issuing an order approving the downhole commingling of two or more pools. It’s not uncommon for a well to encounter multiple pools and in these situations normally an operator will start production/injection operations in the deepest pool in the well and will produce/inject into that pool until it is depleted and then plug off that pool and move up hole to the next pool and repeat the process until all the pools have been depleted. Sometimes one or more of these pools is not large enough to warrant production/injection operations on its own, or there’s other beneficial reasons to allow commingled production/injection. In these instances, an operator will apply to the AOGCC for an order approving the downhole commingling of two or more pools. The AOGCC reviews that application so that waste will not occur and all owners receive the production they are legally entitled to. Enhanced Recovery Injection Order (ERIO) Enhanced recovery oil is a process whereby oil is recovered other than by the natural pressure in a reservoir. Enhanced recover operations are found in AOGCC regulations 20 AAC 25.402. Flaring Flaring is the controlled burning natural gas during oil and gas exploration and production activities. 20 AAC 25.235 provides rules and regulations for reporting gas disposition, including flaring. Gas Disposition AOGCC regulations in 20 AAC 25.235 require operators to provide monthly gas disposition and acquisition for each production facility. The report must include gas sold, gas re-injected, gas flared or vented, gas used for lease operations other than flaring or venting, natura gas liquids produced, gas purchased, gas transferred, and other. Hydraulic Fracturing Hydraulic fracturing is the process of creating small cracks, or fractures, in deep, underground geological formations to liberate oil or natural gas and allow it to flow up the well for capture and use in heating our homes, fueling our cars and providing the electricity we all use for our televisions, computers and other devices. Mechanical Integrity Test (MIT) The Mechanical Integrity Tests are a primary driver for demonstrating the integrity of a well. These tests evaluate the tubing, packer, and casing by imposing pressure in the well space between tubing and the innermost string of casing. Operator The company that has the legal authority to drill wells and undertake the production of hydrocarbons that are found. See 20 AAC 25.020, Designation of Operator. Orders The AOGCC issues Orders (e.g., Conservation Order, Area Injection Order, Enhanced Recovery Injection Order, and Other Order) to allow official creation or modification of rules by the Commission. Specifically, Orders address issues such as well spacing, increased well density, pooling, downhole commingling, and exception locations. Further, Orders allow the AOGCC to handle enforcement and administrative responsibilities. Plugging and Abandonment (P&A) When an operator cease its efforts to find or produce from a well, the operator must complete proper plugging and abandoning of the well and the cleanup of the well site in accordance with the AOGCC regulations (20 AAC 25.105 – 20 AAC 25.172). Pooling Pooling is the joining together of all portions of multiple oil and gas leases to form a unit for the drilling of a single oil or gas well. The AOGCC pool rules can be found in 20 AAC 25.520, Field and Pool Regulation and Classification. Spacing Exception The spacing of oil and gas wells is regulated to help protect the oil and gas rights of adjacent landowners and to help assure the maximum recovery of oil and gas. To further these goals, by law (20 AAC 25.055) there are default well spacing requirements which require various specified well location offsets. Because gas and oil reservoirs often do not conform to property boundaries, there are offsets from property lines where the ownership of subsurface rights changes hands. Gas wells can be no closer than 1,500 feet from a property line where ownership of the gas rights changes. Oil wells can be no closer than 500 feet from a property line where ownership of the oil rights changes. Exceptions to these offsets are sometimes requested drill wells that do not conform to the rules because of special geologic conditions. Storage Injection Order (SIO) The underground storage of hydrocarbons and underground disposal of oil field wastes are prohibited except as adjudicated and ordered by the AOGCC under 20 AAC 25.252. Sundry Approvals The AOGCC may grant administrative approval of the following workover operations: the perforation or reperforation of casing; stimulation; the pulling of tubing; alteration of the casing; repairs to the well; and other. See 20 AAC 25.280. Underground Injection Control (UIC) UIC program is required in each state by a provision of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) for the regulation of Injection Wells, including a permit system. An applicant must demonstrate that the well has no reasonable chance of adversely affecting the quality of an underground source of drinking water before a permit is issued. Well Spacing Well spacing regulations protect the oil and gas rights of adjacent landowners and maximize resource recovery by establishing default limits on how close, under the land's surface, oil and gas wells can be to each other and to property lines where ownership changes hands. These limits are set forth in a regulation, 20 AAC 25.055. Operators must abide by the default well spacing limits (referred to as statewide spacing requirements) unless they apply for, and obtain, an exception to those limits. Although exceptions to the default well spacing requirements are not unusual, AOGCC carefully evaluates each application, and typically grants them only when actual geologic conditions demonstrate that the proposed subsurface location of a well is necessary to reach otherwise unreachable oil or gas and that both the rights of adjacent landowners and underground drinking water can be protected. As a general matter, AOGCC does not have extensive authority over surface impacts such as noise, emissions, or construction.