Existing law establishes the Geologic Energy Management Division in the Department of Conservation, under the direction of the State Oil and Gas Supervisor, who is required to supervise the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of oil and gas wells in the state. Existing law requires the operator of a well to file a written notice of intention to commence drilling or written notice of intention to abandon a well with, and prohibits any drilling or abandonment, respectively, until approval is given by, the supervisor or district deputy. Under existing law, if the supervisor or district deputy fails to give the operator written response to the notice of intention to commence drilling or to the notice of intention to abandon a well within 10 working days from the date of receipt, that failure to respond is considered an approval, as specified. Under existing law, if operations to commence drilling or to abandon a well have not commenced within 24 months of receipt of the notice by the supervisor or the district deputy, the notice is deemed canceled, as provided.

This bill would instead require the supervisor or district deputy to provide the operator, within 10 working days of the receipt of notice of intention, intention to commence drilling or notice of intention to abandon a well, respectively, a written determination stating whether the notice of intention is complete. The bill would provide that if a supervisor or district deputy fails to provide this written determination the notice of intention to commence drilling or notice of intention to abandon a well, respectively, is required to be deemed complete. The bill would require, if the supervisor or the district deputy determines the notice of intention to commence drilling or notice of intention to abandon a well, respectively, is not complete, the supervisor or the district deputy to provide a written list that specifically identifies each item that is missing or deficient, deficient and to make a good faith effort to provide that information in a single document, as specified, in addition to the written determination that the notice of intention is not complete. The bill would authorize the operator to cure any deficiencies and to resubmit the notice of intention to commence drilling or notice of intention to abandon a well, respectively, and would require the supervisor or deputy to provide a written determination stating whether the resubmitted notice of intention is complete within 10 working days. The bill would require, if the supervisor or district deputy provides a written determination that a notice of intention or a resubmitted notice of intention to commence drilling or notice of intention to abandon a well, respectively, is complete, or if a notice of intention to commence drilling or notice of intention to abandon a well, respectively, is deemed complete due to a failure of the supervisor or district deputy to provide the written determination of completeness within 10 working days as described above, the supervisor or the district deputy to approve or deny the notice within 30 working days from the date of the determination of completeness. The bill would provide that if the supervisor or district deputy fails to approve or deny a notice of intention, intention to commence drilling or notice of intention to abandon a well, respectively, within 30 working days, that failure is to be considered an approval, provided that all necessary environmental and technical reviews by the supervisor or district deputy are complete. The bill would also require, if the notice of intention to commence drilling or notice of intention to abandon a well, respectively, is denied by the supervisor or district deputy, within 30 working days from the date of a written determination of completion, the supervisor or the district deputy to include in the denial a rational explanation a rationale for why the notice was denied. The bill would instead provide that if operations to commence drilling or to abandon a well, respectively, have not commenced within 24 months of receipt of approval of the notice by the supervisor or the district deputy, the notice is deemed canceled, as provided.

Existing law establishes the Geologic Energy Management Division in the Department of Conservation, under the direction of the State Oil and Gas Supervisor, who is required to supervise the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of oil and gas wells in the state. Existing law requires the operator of a well to file a written notice of intention to commence drilling with, and prohibits any drilling until approval is given by, the supervisor or district deputy. Under existing law, if the supervisor or district deputy fails to give the operator written response to the notice within 10 working days from the date of receipt, that failure to respond is considered an approval, as specified. Under existing law, if operations have not commenced within 24 months of receipt of the notice by the supervisor or the district deputy, the notice is deemed canceled, as provided.

This bill would instead require, if the supervisor or district deputy fails to give the operator an approval or denial of the notice of intent to commence drilling within 30 working days, provided that instead require the supervisor or district deputy to provide the operator, within 10 working days of the receipt of notice of intention, a written determination stating whether the notice of intention is complete. The bill would provide that if a supervisor or district deputy fails to provide this written determination the notice of intention is required to be deemed complete. The bill would require, if the supervisor or the district deputy determines the notice of intention is not complete, the supervisor or the district deputy to provide a written list that specifically identifies each item that is missing or deficient, as specified, in addition to the written determination that the notice of intention is not complete. The bill would authorize the operator to cure any deficiencies and to resubmit the notice of intention and would require the supervisor or deputy to provide a written determination stating whether the resubmitted notice of intention is complete within 10 working days. The bill would require, if the supervisor or district deputy provides a written determination that a notice of intention or a resubmitted notice of intention is complete, or if a notice of intention is deemed complete due to a failure of the supervisor or district deputy to provide the written determination of completeness within 10 working days as described above, the supervisor or the district deputy to approve or deny the notice within 30 working days from the date of the determination of completeness. The bill would provide that if the supervisor or district deputy fails to approve or deny a notice of intention, within 30 working days, that failure is to be considered an approval, provided that all necessary environmental and technical reviews are complete, failure to be considered an approval. complete. The bill would also require, if the notice is denied by the supervisor or district deputy, within 30 working days, days from the date of a written determination of completion, the supervisor or the district deputy to include in the denial a rational explanation for why the notice was denied. The bill would instead provide that if operations have not commenced within 24 months of receipt of approval of the notice by the supervisor or the district deputy, the notice is deemed canceled, as provided.

Existing law establishes the Geologic Energy Management Division in the Department of Conservation, under the direction of the State Oil and Gas Supervisor, who is required to supervise the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of oil and gas wells in the state. Existing law requires the operator of a well to file a written notice of intention to commence drilling with, and prohibits any drilling until approval is given by, the supervisor or district deputy. Under existing law, if the supervisor or district deputy fails to give the operator written response to the notice within 10 working days from the date of receipt, that failure to respond is considered an approval, as specified. Under existing law, if operations have not commenced within 24 months of receipt of the notice by the supervisor or the district deputy, the notice is deemed canceled, as provided.

This bill would instead require, if the supervisor or district deputy fails to give the operator an approval or denial of the notice of intent to commence drilling within 30 working days, provided that all necessary environmental and technical reviews are complete, failure to be considered an approval. The bill would also require, if the notice is denied by the supervisor or district deputy, within 30 working days, the supervisor or the district deputy to include in the denial a rational explanation for why the notice was denied. The bill would instead provide that if operations have not commenced within 24 months of receipt of approval of the notice by the supervisor or the district deputy, the notice is deemed canceled, as provided.

Existing law establishes the Geologic Energy Management Division in the Department of Conservation, under the direction of the State Oil and Gas Supervisor, who is required to supervise the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of oil and gas wells in the state. Existing law requires the operator of a well to file a written notice of intention to commence drilling with, and prohibits any drilling until approval is given by, the supervisor or district deputy. Under existing law, if the supervisor or district deputy fails to give the operator written response to the notice within 10 working days from the date of receipt, that failure to respond is considered an approval, as specified. Under existing law, if operations have not commenced within 24 months of receipt of the notice by the supervisor or the district deputy, the notice is deemed canceled, as provided.

This bill would instead require, if the supervisor or district deputy fails to give the operator an approval or denial of the notice of intent to commence drilling within 30 working days, failure to be considered an approval. The bill would also require, if the notice is denied by the supervisor or district deputy, within 30 working days, the supervisor or the district deputy to include in the denial a comprehensive reason rational explanation for why the notice was denied. The bill would instead provide that if operations have not commenced within 24 months of receipt of approval of the notice by the supervisor or the district deputy, the notice is deemed canceled, as provided.

Existing law establishes the Geologic Energy Management Division in the Department of Conservation, under the direction of the State Oil and Gas Supervisor, who is required to supervise the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of oil and gas wells in the state. Existing law requires the operator of a well to file a written notice of intention to commence drilling with, and prohibits any drilling until approval is given by, the supervisor or district deputy. Under existing law, if the supervisor or district deputy fails to give the operator written response to the notice within 10 working days from the date of receipt, that failure to respond is considered an approval, as specified. Under existing law, if operations have not commenced within 24 months of receipt of the notice by the supervisor or the district deputy, the notice is deemed canceled, as provided.

This bill would require, if the supervisor or district deputy fails to give the operator an approval or denial of the notice of intent to commence drilling within 30 working days, failure to be considered an approval. The bill would also require, if the notice is denied by the supervisor or district deputy, within 30 working days, the supervisor or the district deputy to include in the denial a comprehensive reason for why the notice was denied. The bill would provide that if operations have not commenced within 24 months of receipt of approval of the notice by the supervisor or the district deputy, the notice is deemed canceled, as provided.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON

Senator Sabrina Cervantes, Chair

2025 - 2026 Regular Session

AB 2711 (Ellis) - Oil and gas: notice of intention

Bill Summary:

This bill would require the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) to evaluate whether a submitted notice of intention (NOI) to drill, redrill, or abandon a well is complete or not within 10 days, approve or deny a complete NOI within 30 days following the determination of completeness, require an explanation of the denial, and provide for an operation of law approval of an NOI if certain technical and environmental reviews are completed, among other provisions, as provided.

Fiscal Impact:

• The Department of Conservation (DOC), which houses CalGEM, estimates ongoing costs of $2.4 million in the first year and $2 million annually thereafter (Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Administrative Fund [OGGAF]) to perform technical reviews of notices of intention submitted by operators for well work applications, including new drills, reworks, abandonments, and wells within health protection zones; perform completeness checks and provide written responses to operators stating either that the notice is complete or specifying what additional information is required; support administration and tracking of review deadlines; and update WellSTAR, CalGEM's system of record, to incorporate the new review step, review durations, and permit expiration dates.

Background:

CalGEM permits well operations in California through the notice of intention process. Volume is uneven across NOI types: tens annually for new wells against thousands in aggregate for abandonment, deepening, reworking, and similar work.

NOI volume and current review times. In 2025, 26 NOIs were submitted for new wells, of which 25 were approved. Letters of abeyance went out on 56 percent of the NOIs approved, and for those the average time to a decision was just over five months, with a range from zero days to nearly a year and a half. For NOIs to abandon, deepen, reabandon, rework, and sidetrack, thousands of which were approved in aggregate in 2025, letters of abeyance were sent in the majority of cases, but the average time from receipt to approval was generally in the range of a couple of weeks to two months.

Letters of abeyance. Existing law deems an NOI approved if the supervisor or district deputy provides no written response within 10 working days. In practice CalGEM sends a letter of abeyance within that window, stating that the division is holding the NOI and will make a final determination later, which satisfies the written response requirement. There is no fixed deadline to approve or deny after a letter of abeyance issues. According to CalGEM, NOIs are never approved through operation of law because letters are always sent.

Factors affecting review time. The time required to approve or deny an NOI depends on the type and complexity of the proposed operation, the level of environmental review required under CEQA, and the overall volume of applications under review. Approval is conditioned on other permits being obtained, including local conditional use permits and CEQA documentation, which are generally secured before the NOI is submitted. Where injection is proposed at a depth requiring a federal Safe Drinking Water Act aquifer exemption, the NOI is not approved until that exemption is in place, and obtaining exempt status from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can take years depending on complexity.

Proposed Law:

This bill would:

1. Delete the requirement that the supervisor or district deputy respond within 10 working days from the date of receipt of the notice of intention or that failure will be considered an approval of the NOI.
2. Require the supervisor or district deputy within 10 working days of receipt of a NOI to provide the operator with a written determination of whether the NOI is complete or not complete, including whether all necessary environmental and technical materials required to be submitted by the operator have been submitted.
3. Require the supervisor or district deputy to approve or deny the NOI within 30 working days from the determination of completeness, if the NOI is complete.
4. Provided that all necessary environmental and technical reviews by the supervisor or district deputy are complete, approve the NOI by operation of law if the supervisor or district deputy do not approve or deny the NOI within 30 working days from the determination of completeness, as provided.
5. If the NOI is not complete, require the supervisor or district deputy to provide the operator with a written list that identifies each item that is missing or deficient, as specified, and to make a good faith effort to include that information in a single document. Authorize the operator to cure the deficiencies and resubmit the NOI. Require the supervisor or district deputy to provide the operator with a written determination whether the written NOI is complete within 10 working days.
   1. Require the supervisor or district deputy to approve or deny the resubmitted NOI within 30 working days from the determination of completeness, if the resubmitted NOI is complete.
   2. Provided that all necessary environmental and technical reviews by the supervisor or district deputy are complete, approve the resubmitted NOI by operation of law if the supervisor or district deputy do not approve or deny the resubmitted NOI within 30 working days from the determination of completeness, as provided.
6. Require the NOI to be deemed complete if the supervisor or district deputy does not provide a written determination of whether the NOI is complete or not complete within 10 working days of receipt.
7. Require the supervisor or district deputy to approve or deny the NOI within 30 working days from the NOI being deemed complete by operation of law.
8. Provided that all necessary environmental and technical reviews by the supervisor or district deputy are complete, approve the NOI by operation of law if the supervisor or district deputy do not approve or deny the NOI within 30 working days from the determination of completeness, as provided.
9. Require that if the supervisor or district deputy denies an NOI within 30 working days from the determination of completeness, to include in the denial a rationale for why the NOI was denied.
10. Require that the NOI is deemed cancelled if operations have not commenced within 24 months of receipt of approval, not receipt, as provided.
11. Define, for purposes of these provisions, the necessary environmental and technical materials to be submitted as those directly applicable to the evaluation of the NOI, including, as applicable, documentation of compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act, location of an exempted aquifer, and other environmental and technical information as necessary for the supervisor or district deputy to complete the required reviews.
12. Apply the same completeness determination, approval deadline, operation of law approval, denial rationale, and cancellation provisions to a notice of intention to abandon a well.

Related Legislation:

SB 237 (Grayson, 2025) deemed a specified County of Kern environmental impact report sufficient for full compliance with CEQA for purposes of adopting revisions to the county's oil and gas zoning ordinance, and established that projects satisfying that ordinance and approved by the county are deemed sufficient for full compliance with CEQA with no further environmental review required. It applied those provisions prospectively and retroactively to pending causes of action for which no final nonappealable judgment had been entered, prohibited approval by the county or CalGEM within a health protection zone, and repeals the CEQA provisions on January 1, 2036.

Staff Comments:

The 2026-27 Budget Act provides $1.8 million in 2026-27 and again in 2027-28 from OGGAF to implement the Gravity-Based Energy Storage Well Pilot Program under SB 567 (Chapter 419, Statutes of 2025), shared across DOC, CARB, and the Water Boards, with an additional $477,000 in each year to CARB for the same program. The budget also includes a $7.5 million one-time reduction pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 3258, which removed DOC’s additional expenditure authority in the absence of a matching non-OGGAF appropriation for plugging and abandoning wells.

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SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND WATER

Senator Josh Becker, Chair

2025 - 2026 Regular

Bill No: AB Hearing Date: July 1, 2026

Subject: Oil and gas: notice of intention

SUMMARY

This bill would require the Geologic Energy Management Division to evaluate whether a submitted notice of intention to drill or redrill a well is complete or not within 10 days, approve or deny a complete notice of intention within 30 days following the determination of completeness, require an explanation of the denial, and provide for an operation of law approval of a notice of intention if certain technical and environmental reviews are completed, among other provisions, as provided.

BACKGROUND AND EXISTING LAW

Oil in California

California is a major oil and gas producing state. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the state was 8^th and 15^th for oil and marketed natural gas production, respectively, among the 50 states^[1]. Oil exploration and production in California started in the 19^th century. Production of oil was about 105 million barrels in 2025^[2], and continues to decline from the 1985 peak. Many of the state’s oil and gas fields have been in operation for decades, if not longer, and require costly enhanced oil recovery methods, such as steam injection, to continue to produce oil.

The Geologic Energy Management Division in the Department of Conservation (CalGEM) is the state’s oil and gas production regulator. The State Oil and Gas Supervisor (supervisor) leads CalGEM, and district deputies lead each of CalGEM’s current three districts (Northern, Central, and Southern).

In order to drill, deepen, re-drill, plug, alter the casing of, or abandon a well, an operator needs to obtain an approved Notice of Intention (NOI) from CalGEM. Existing law provides that if the supervisor or district deputy has not provided a written response to the operator within 10 working days, the submitted NOI is deemed approved by operation of law (Public Resources Code (PRC) §§3203, 3229). In practice, CalGEM sends out so-called “letters of abeyance” in that 10 working day window upon receipt of the proposed NOI which satisfies the requirement to provide a written response. The letter of abeyance may read as follows:

The Division has received your Notice of Intention to Abandon, received 5/12/2026 for [identification of the well, field and location]. Please note, the Division is holding your Notice of Intention in Abeyance and will make a final determination at a later time.

There is no fixed deadline to approve or deny a NOI following the issuance of a letter of abeyance. According to CalGEM, NOIs are never approved through operation of law as letters are always sent. In practice, a request to drill an additional well in a well-established field whose parameters are well-known may be approved reasonably quickly. It is important to note that seeking and obtaining a NOI is essentially the last step in the process as other permits and requirements – such as a local conditional use permit or environmental documentation pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) – should already be obtained prior to submitting the NOI for approval. CalGEM’s approvals are conditioned upon the other permits being obtained.

In the last 15 or so years, there have been time periods, particularly in Kern County where most of the state’s oil is produced, where there have been substantial delays in the approval of submitted NOIs for new wells. This has largely been due to concerns related to CEQA or environmental or other compliance. In 2015, CalGEM became aware that many injection wells had been approved in locations without appropriate approvals under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act to authorize injection (in other words, the aquifers where injection was occurring were not designated as “exempt”). Depending upon the complexity of the application, it can take years from start-to-finish to obtain exempt status for an aquifer from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. While there is a separate approval necessary for injection, a NOI to perforate a well at a depth where an aquifer exemption is required would not be approved. Additionally, there has been extended litigation over the certification of the Kern County local oil and gas ordinance Environmental Impact Report (EIR) under CEQA. As the litigation progressed, there were time periods where there was no valid CEQA document and NOI approvals for new wells were delayed for extended periods as a result. SB 237 (Grayson, Chapter 118, Statutes of 2025) stopped further litigation over the Kern County oil and gas ordinance CEQA document for 10 years, which stopped CEQA-related delays in NOI approval for new wells in Kern County.

According to CalGEM, in 2025 there were 26 NOIs submitted for new wells. Of these, 25 were approved and 56% of the NOIs approved received letters of abeyance. For the NOIs receiving letters of abeyance, the average time until a decision was made was just over 5 months although the range was 0 days to almost 1-1/2 years. Similarly, for NOIs for abandonment, deepening, reabandonment, reworking, and sidetracking, of which thousands in aggregate were approved in 2025, letters of abeyance were sent in the majority of cases, although the average time from receipt to approval was much shorter generally in the range of a couple of weeks to two months.

Since SB 237 became law earlier this year, and through May 31, CalGEM has approved 318 new drill NOIs in Kern County. Kern County has approved 691 job cards for all types of permitted well work and CalGEM has received 633 total NOIs for those.

Existing law:

1. Establishes CalGEM within the Department of Conservation and designates the supervisor as CalGEM’s leader. Requires the supervisor to appoint at least one district deputy in each district. (PRC §3101)
2. Requires the supervisor to so supervise the drilling, operation, maintenance, and abandonment of wells and the operation, maintenance, and removal or abandonment of tanks and facilities attendant to oil and gas production, including pipelines within an oil and gas field, so as to prevent, as far as possible, damage to life, health, property, and natural resources; among other reasons, as provided. (PRC §3106)
3. Requires an operator of any well, before commencing the work of drilling, deepening, redrilling, plugging, or permanently altering the casing of well in any manner, to file a written NOI with the supervisor or district deputy. Prohibits drilling or other actions until approval is given by the supervisor or district deputy. Provides that if the supervisor or district deputy does not provide a written response within 10 working days from the date of receipt that the failure is deemed an approval of the NOI, as provided. Cancels the NOI if operations have not commenced within 24 months of receipt. Requires the NOI to contain the pertinent data the supervisor requires on printed forms and authorizes the supervisor to require other pertinent information to supplement the notice, as provided. (PRC §3203)
4. Imposes similar requirements as 3) above for a NOI for abandonment. (PRC §3229)

PROPOSED LAW

This bill would:

1. Delete the requirement that the supervisor or district deputy respond within 10 working days from the date of receipt of the notice of intention or that failure will be considered an approval of the NOI.
2. Require the supervisor or district deputy within 10 working days of receipt of a NOI to provide the operator with a written determination of whether the NOI is complete or not complete.
   1. Require the supervisor or district deputy to approve or deny the NOI within 30 working days from the determination of completeness, if the NOI is complete.
   2. Provided that all necessary environmental and technical reviews are complete, approve the NOI by operation of law if the supervisor or district deputy do not approve or deny the NOI within 30 working days from the determination of completeness, as provided.
   3. If the NOI is not complete, require the supervisor or district deputy to provide the operator with a written list that identifies each item that is missing or deficient, as specified. Authorize the operator to cure the deficiencies and resubmit the NOI. Require the supervisor or district deputy to provide the operator with a written determination whether the written NOI is complete within 10 working days.
      1. Require the supervisor or district deputy to approve or deny the resubmitted NOI within 30 working days from the determination of completeness, if the resubmitted NOI is complete.
      2. Provided that all necessary environmental and technical reviews are complete, approve the resubmitted NOI by operation of law if the supervisor or district deputy do not approve or deny the resubmitted NOI within 30 working days from the determination of completeness, as provided.
3. Require the NOI to be deemed complete if the supervisor or district deputy does not provide a written determination of whether the NOI is complete or not complete within 10 working days or receipt.
   1. Require the supervisor or district deputy to approve or deny the NOI within 30 working days from the NOI being deemed complete by operation of law.
   2. Provided that all necessary environmental and technical reviews are complete, approve the NOI by operation of law if the supervisor or district deputy do not approve or deny the NOI within 30 working days from the determination of completeness, as provided.
4. Require that if the supervisor or district deputy denies a NOI within 30 working days from the determination of completion, to include in the denial a rational explanation of why the NOI was denied.
5. Require that the NOI is deemed cancelled if operations have not commenced within 24 months of receipt of approval, not receipt, as provided.

ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT

According to the author, “California is facing a serious energy crisis as in-state oil and gas production declines and refineries shut down. Robust domestic production has never been more critical to protect working families from shortages, price spikes, and reliance on volatile, dirty, and unsafe overseas supplies.”

“Unfortunately, loopholes in the current drilling permit process have allowed approval times for Notices of Intention to drill to balloon from just days to many months – or even years. These excessive delays are stifling production at the very moment California needs it most.”

“AB 2711 closes these loopholes by requiring the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) to approve or deny a Notice of Intention within 30 working days of receipt. This common-sense reform will restore predictability and efficiency to the permitting process, strengthen our energy independence, and help safeguard California families and businesses from supply disruptions.”

ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION

In a joint sign-on letter in opposition, the Central California Environmental Justice Network writes “AB 2711 is another giveaway to the oil industry, even as companies are making record profits and price-gouging consumers at the pump. California already eliminated future environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act for the vast majority of new wells in the state. This bill would establish an automatic approval of a notice of intent (NOI) to drill if the Department of Conservation’s Geologic Energy Management Division, the state oil and gas regulator, has not approved or denied the NOI within 30 working days from when the application is deemed complete. CalGEM would be forced to determine whether any information is missing from an application within 10 working days or the application would be deemed complete.”

“These arbitrary and tight timelines are unworkable and create considerable risk. Approvals of an NOI to drill require consideration of issues such as compliance with setbacks from sensitive receptors, geologic safety, and other environmental impacts.”

COMMENTS

Solving a problem? As noted above, in the last 15 years, there have been periods of time, particularly in Kern County, where NOIs for drilling new wells, were not approved for extended periods of time. This has generally been due to CEQA-related issues which SB 237 addressed for Kern County last year. There have since been rapid approvals of most NOIs for new drills in Kern County. The NOI is the last step in the process, and if it is sought before all the other necessary approvals are in place, its approval will necessarily be delayed. CalGEM exercises its authority to deny NOIs as warranted. While it may be frustrating for operators who have pending NOIs when the CEQA documentation relied upon is invalidated, it is not clear what benefit there is to forcing CalGEM to deny those NOIs rather than leaving them pending. In the instances that CalGEM needs additional information from the operator, there should be time available for that information to be supplied.

Abandonments excluded. The bill as proposed does not include the NOIs for abandonment which under existing law have a similar 10 day written response requirement as the other NOIs.

The Committee may wish to amend the bill to include the NOIs for abandonment. [Amendment #1]

Clarifying requirements. As written, the operation of law approvals depend upon when the environmental and technical reviews are complete, but does not specify who makes that determination.

Additionally, while the NOI includes certain technical and environmental information if completed correctly, the determination of completeness of the NOI by the supervisor or district deputy should include whether all of the environmental and technical information required to evaluate the NOI is also provided. This provides clarity to the operator that CalGEM has the information it needs. At the same time, to the extent feasible, a comprehensive list of the NOI deficiencies should be provided to the operator.

The Committee may wish to amend the bill:

• To specify that the determination of whether the technical and environmental reviews are complete is made by the supervisor or district deputy.
• Clarify that the determination of completeness of the NOI includes whether certain technical and environmental materials necessary to evaluate the NOI are provided.
• Specify that CalGEM make a good faith effort in the event a NOI is incomplete to provide a comprehensive list of the needed information.
• Make minor technical corrections. [Amendment #1]

Operation of law approvals. As noted above, CalGEM states that there are no operation of law approvals because it responds to all NOI submittals. It is not clear should this bill become law that CalGEM’s approach to operation of law approvals will change. The framework provided by this bill is substantially more structured and rigid than existing law, and it is not clear that it necessarily provides more certainty to the operator. CalGEM would likely have to do more upfront work in assessing the completeness of the NOI compared to existing practice which may require additional resources.

SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS

AMENDMENT 1

Amend the bill per the following mock-up:

3203. (a) The operator of any well, before commencing the work of drilling the well, shall file with the supervisor or the district deputy a written notice of intention to commence drilling. Drilling shall not commence until approval is given by the supervisor or the district deputy.

(1) The supervisor or district deputy shall within 10 working days of receipt of a notice of intention provide the operator with a written determination stating whether the notice of intention is complete or not complete for purposes of this section. Pursuant to subdivision (b), a complete notice of intention includes all necessary environmental and technical materials that the supervisor or district deputy requires to be submitted by the operator. The supervisor or district deputy shall include in their written determination of whether the notice of intention is complete or incomplete whether all necessary environmental and technical materials required to be submitted by the operator have been submitted.

(A) (i) If the supervisor or district deputy determines that the notice of intention is complete and provides the written determination to the operator pursuant to paragraph (1), the supervisor or district deputy shall have 30 working days from the date of the determination of completeness to provide the operator an approval or denial of the notice.

(ii) If the supervisor or the district deputy fails to give the operator an approval or denial of the notice within 30 working days, provided that all necessary environmental and technical reviews by the supervisor or district deputy are complete, that failure shall be considered as an approval of the notice and the notice, for the purposes and intents of this chapter, shall be deemed a written report of the supervisor.

(B) (i) If the supervisor or district deputy determines that the notice of intention is not complete, the supervisor or district deputy shall provide, in addition to the determination that the notice of intention is not complete pursuant to paragraph (1), the operator with a written list that specifically identifies each item that is missing or deficient and the relevant legal authority requiring any item that is identified as missing or deficient. The supervisor or district deputy shall make a good faith effort to include in the written list all items that are missing or deficient. The operator may cure the deficiencies and resubmit the notice of intention. The supervisor or district deputy shall, within 10 working days of the receipt of the resubmitted notice of intention, provide the operator with a written determination stating whether the resubmitted notice of intention is complete for purposes of this section.

(ii) If the resubmitted notice of intention is determined to be complete, the supervisor or the district deputy shall have 30 working days from the date of the determination of completeness to provide the operator an approval or denial of the notice.

(iii) If the supervisor or the district deputy fails to give the operator an approval or denial of the notice within 30 working days, provided that all necessary environmental and technical reviews by the supervisor or district deputy are complete, that failure shall be considered as an approval of the notice and the notice, for the purposes and intents of this chapter, shall be deemed a written report of the supervisor.

(2) (A) If the supervisor or district deputy fails to provide a written determination within 10 working days pursuant to paragraph (1), the notice of intention shall be deemed complete, and supervisor or district deputy shall have 30 working days from the date the notice of intention was received to provide the operator an approval or denial of the notice.

(B) If the supervisor or district deputy fails to provide the operator with an approval or denial of the notice within 30 working days, provided that all necessary environmental and technical reviews by the supervisor or district deputy are complete, that failure shall be considered as an approval of the notice and the notice, for the purposes and intents of this chapter, shall be deemed a written report of the supervisor.

(b) The notice shall contain the pertinent data the supervisor requires on printed forms supplied by the division or on other forms acceptable to the supervisor. The supervisor may require other pertinent information to supplement the notice.

(c) If the notice is denied by the supervisor or the district deputy within 30 working days from the date of a written determination of completion completeness pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), the supervisor or district deputy shall include in the denial a rationale rational explanation for why the notice was denied.

(d) If operations have not commenced within 24 months of receipt of approval of the notice, the notice shall be deemed canceled, the notice shall not be extended, and the cancellation shall be noted in the division’s records.

(e) After the completion of any well, this section also applies as far as may be, to the deepening or redrilling of the well, any operation involving the plugging of the well, or any operations permanently altering in any manner the casing of the well. The number or designation of any well, and the number or designation specified for any well in a notice filed as required by this section, shall not be changed without first obtaining a written consent of the supervisor.

(f) If an operator has failed to comply with an order of the supervisor, the supervisor may deny approval of proposed well operations until the operator brings its existing well operations into compliance with the order. If an operator has failed to pay a civil penalty, remedy a violation that it is required to remedy to the satisfaction of the supervisor pursuant to an order issued under Section 3236.5, or to pay any charges assessed under Article 7 (commencing with Section 3400), the supervisor may deny approval to the operator’s proposed well operations until the operator pays the civil penalty, remedies the violation to the satisfaction of the supervisor, or pays the charges assessed under Article 7 (commencing with Section 3400).

(g) for the purposes of this section, all necessary environmental and technical materials to be submitted to the supervisor or district deputy for consideration are directly applicable to the evaluation of the notice of intention and include, as applicable: documentation of compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act, location of an exempted aquifer, as defined in subdivision (c) of section 3130, and such other environmental and technical information as is necessary for the supervisor to complete the reviews required for a Notice of Intention.

Add and amend PRC §3229 as follows:

3229. (a) Before commencing any work to abandon a well, the owner or operator shall file with the supervisor or the district deputy a written notice of intention to abandon the well. Abandonment shall not proceed until approval is given by the supervisor or the district deputy. If the supervisor or the district deputy does not give the owner or operator a written response to the notice of intention within 10 working days, the proposed abandonment shall be deemed to have been approved and the notice of intention shall for the purposes of this chapter be deemed a written report of the supervisor. If abandonment operations have not commenced within 24 months of receipt of the notice of intention, the notice of intention shall be deemed canceled.

(1) The supervisor or district deputy shall within 10 working days of receipt of a notice of intention provide the operator with a written determination stating whether the notice of intention is complete or not complete for purposes of this section. Pursuant to section 3230, a complete notice of intention includes all necessary environmental and technical materials that the supervisor or district deputy requires to be submitted by the operator. The supervisor or district deputy shall include in their written determination of whether the notice of intention is complete or incomplete all necessary environmental and technical materials required to be submitted by the operator have been submitted.

(A) (i) If the supervisor or district deputy determines that the notice of intention is complete and provides the written determination to the operator pursuant to paragraph (1), the supervisor or district deputy shall have 30 working days from the date of the determination of completeness to provide the operator an approval or denial of the notice.

(ii) If the supervisor or the district deputy fails to give the operator an approval or denial of the notice within 30 working days, provided that all necessary environmental and technical reviews by the supervisor or district deputy are complete, that failure shall be considered as an approval of the notice and the notice, for the purposes and intents of this chapter, shall be deemed a written report of the supervisor.

(B) (i) If the supervisor or district deputy determines that the notice of intention is not complete, the supervisor or district deputy shall provide, in addition to the determination that the notice of intention is not complete pursuant to paragraph (1), the operator with a written list that specifically identifies each item that is missing or deficient and the relevant legal authority requiring any item that is identified as missing or deficient. The supervisor or district deputy shall make a good faith effort to include in the written list all items that are missing or deficient. The operator may cure the deficiencies and resubmit the notice of intention. The supervisor or district deputy shall, within 10 working days of the receipt of the resubmitted notice of intention, provide the operator with a written determination stating whether the resubmitted notice of intention is complete for purposes of this section.

(ii) If the resubmitted notice of intention is determined to be complete, the supervisor or the district deputy shall have 30 working days from the date of the determination of completeness to provide the operator an approval or denial of the notice.

(iii) If the supervisor or the district deputy fails to give the operator an approval or denial of the notice within 30 working days, provided that all necessary environmental and technical reviews by the supervisor or district deputy are complete, that failure shall be considered as an approval of the notice and the notice, for the purposes and intents of this chapter, shall be deemed a written report of the supervisor.

(2) (A) If the supervisor or district deputy fails to provide a written determination within 10 working days pursuant to paragraph (1), the notice of intention shall be deemed complete, and supervisor or district deputy shall have 30 working days from the date the notice of intention was received to provide the operator an approval or denial of the notice.

(B) If the supervisor or district deputy fails to provide the operator with an approval or denial of the notice within 30 working days, provided that all necessary environmental and technical reviews by the supervisor or district deputy are complete, that failure shall be considered as an approval of the notice and the notice, for the purposes and intents of this chapter, shall be deemed a written report of the supervisor.

(b) If the notice is denied by the supervisor or the district deputy within 30 working days from the date of a written determination of completeness pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), the supervisor or district deputy shall include in the denial a rationale for why the notice was denied.

(c) If operations have not commenced within 24 months of receipt of approval of the notice, the notice shall be deemed canceled, the notice shall not be extended, and the cancellation shall be noted in the division’s records.

(d) for the purposes of this section, all necessary environmental and technical materials to be submitted to the supervisor or district deputy for consideration are as defined in subdivision (g) of section 3203.

SUPPORT

California Independent Petroleum Association

County of Kern

OPPOSITION

350 Bay Area Action

Amazon Watch

Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) Action

California Environmental Justice Alliance

California Nurses for Environmental Health and Justice

Center for Biological Diversity

Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment

Central California Environmental Justice Network

Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE)

Clean and Healthy California

Climate First: Replacing Oil & Gas (CFROG)

Communities for a Better Environment

Earthjustice

Environment California

Food & Water Watch

Fossil Free California Votes

FracTracker Alliance

Oil and Gas Action Network

Oil Change International

Physicians for Social Responsibility – Los Angeles

Presente.org

Redeemer Community Partnership

San Diego 350

Sierra Club California

Sunflower Alliance

The Climate Center

VISIÓN Coalition (Voices in Solidarity Against Oil In Neighborhoods)

-- END --

1. Ranking based upon 2024 data. ↑

2. According to the WellSTAR data dashboard (accessed May 31, 2026) ↑

ASSEMBLY THIRD READING

ATR Bill Id:AB 2711

Author:(Ellis)

As Amended Ver:May 18, 2026

Majority vote

SUMMARY

Extends the amount of time the supervisor of the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) has to respond to a written notice of intention (NOI) to commence drilling and requires a denial to be accompanied with a comprehensive reason for the denial.

Major Provisions

1. Provides that the amount of time the supervisor or the district deputy has is 30 days from the date of receipt of the NOI, provided all necessary environmental and technical reviews are complete, to give the operator an approval or denial of the NOI.
2. Requires, if the NOI is denied by the supervisor or the district deputy within 30 working days from the date of receipt, the supervisor or district deputy to include in the denial a comprehensive reason for why the notice was denied.

COMMENTS

In California, a developer that wants to drill, expand, rework, or plug a traditional well must file a NOI to request and obtain CalGEM's approval to drill before commencing operations. NOIs for new wells require various information such as the depth and elevation and well type, an assessment of the presence of freshwater or underground drinking water, and whether the location is in an urban area or near environmentally sensitive areas. Operators must also describe blowout prevention equipment and drilling fluids and disposal methods to be used, as well as technical details related to casing and cement usage, proposed work plan, and abandonment plan. A complete NOI must include evidence that the operator has satisfied local permitting requirements and CEQA requirements.

Under current law, CalGEM has 10 days to respond to an operator's NOI before drilling or re-entering an oil or gas well. If CalGEM does not respond within that timeframe, the NOI is deemed approved. According to UC Berkeley's Center for Law, Energy, and Environment paper Law and Policy Options to Facilitate a Phase-Out of Fossil Fuel Production in California (April 2020), in practice, many NOI reviews are processed and permitted well within the statutory period, with typical responses often occurring in about a week or less (within 5-7 business days). After receiving approval, an operator must begin operations within 24 months or else the NOI expires.

According to the Author

California is facing a serious energy security crisis as in-state oil and gas production declines and refineries shut down. Robust domestic production has never been more critical to protect working families from shortages, price spikes, and reliance on volatile, dirty, and unsafe overseas supplies. Unfortunately, loopholes in the current drilling permit process have allowed approval times for [NOIs] to drill to balloon from just days to many months – or even years. These excessive delays are stifling production at the very moment California needs it most.

AB 2711 closes these loopholes by requiring CalGEM to approve or deny a Notice of Intention within 30 working days of receipt. This common-sense reform will restore predictability and efficiency to the permitting process, strengthen our energy independence, and help safeguard California families and businesses from supply disruptions.

Arguments in Support

The California Independent Petroleum Association writes that AB 2711 addresses a serious and longstanding problem in the administration of Notices of Intention to drill. Under current practice, operators may receive an automated acknowledgment from CalGEM that is treated as the agency’s required written response, while the actual approval or denial of the permit application can then languish for months or even years. This bill closes that loophole by requiring CalGEM to issue an approval or denial within 30 working days of receiving the notice, and to provide an explanation when a notice is denied. That is a straightforward, commonsense reform.

Arguments in Opposition

The Central California Environmental Justice Network writes that the written response required under current law could be an acknowledgement that the request was received but the agency has not had the available staffing to complete the review. If a final approval or denial is required in 30 working days and the Department of Conservation is not staffed to meet that deadline, notices of intention to drill will be approved – or denied – by default.

FISCAL COMMENTS

According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, CalGEM estimates ongoing annual costs of an unknown amount, likely ranging from minor and absorbable to the low hundreds of thousands of dollars (Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Administrative Fund) for CalGEM to implement this bill. The amount of time it currently takes CalGEM to approve or deny an NOI varies and depends on numerous factors, including, among other things, the type and complexity of the proposed drilling operation, the level of environmental review required (pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)), and the overall volume of applications CalGEM is reviewing at any given time. This bill provides that if the supervisor or district deputy of CalGEM fails to approve or deny an NOI within 30 working days from the date of receipt, provided that all necessary environmental and technical reviews are complete, the failure shall be considered an approval of the NOI. According to CalGEM, in 2025, the division approved 17 new drilling permits, and the average approval time was around 240 days. However, since SB 237 (Grayson), Chapter 118, Statutes of 2025, has been in effect, most permits in Kern County take under 10 days to process. Permits that require additional environmental review take longer and include the 30-day public comment period required by CEQA. It is likely CalGEM will be able to continue issuing decisions on relatively straightforward NOIs within 30 days, at least within Kern County. And for those notices that require a higher level of technical and environmental review, the bill, as amended, provides CalGEM with an offramp and potential cost-containment.

VOTES

ASM NATURAL RESOURCES: 8-0-6

YES: Bryan, Ellis, Alanis, Hoover, Macedo, Pellerin, Schultz, Wicks

ABS, ABST OR NV: Connolly, Garcia, Haney, Kalra, Muratsuchi, Zbur

ASM APPROPRIATIONS: 13-0-2

YES: Wicks, Hoover, Aguiar-Curry, Calderon, Dixon, Fong, Mark González, Krell, Pacheco, Pellerin, Solache, Ta, Tangipa

ABS, ABST OR NV: Caloza, Sharp-Collins

UPDATED

VERSION: May 18, 2026

CONSULTANT: Paige Brokaw / NAT. RES. / (916) 319-2092 FN: 0002774

Date of Hearing: May 13, 2026

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Buffy Wicks, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2711

Author:(Ellis) – As Amended Ver:April 22, 2026

Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No

SUMMARY:

This bill provides that if the supervisor of the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) fails to give the operator of an oil or gas well an approval or denial of a notice of intention (NOI) to commence drilling within 30 working days from the date of receipt, the failure shall be considered an approval of the NOI.

Specifically, this bill:

1. Provides that if the supervisor or district deputy of CalGEM fails to approve or deny an NOI within 30 working days from the date of receipt, the failure shall be considered an approval of the NOI – instead of, per existing law, an NOI being deemed approved if the supervisor or district deputy fails to give the operator “written response to the notice within 10 working days from the date of receipt.”
2. Provides that if operations have not commenced within 24 months of receipt of approval of the notice (as opposed to within 24 months of receipt of the notice), the notice shall be deemed canceled, the notice shall not be extended, and the cancellation shall be noted in CalGEM’s records.
3. Requires, if the NOI is denied by the supervisor or district deputy within 30 working days from the date of receipt, the supervisor or district deputy to include in the denial a rational explanation for why the notice was denied.

FISCAL EFFECT:

CalGEM estimates ongoing annual costs of about $1.4 million for five associate oil and gas engineers and one analyst (Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Administrative Fund) to track NOI review deadlines and – on an expedited timeline – perform technical reviews of NOIs submitted by operators for well work applications, including new drills, reworks, abandonments, and wells within health protection zones. As discussed below, currently, CalGEM must simply provide a “written response” to an NOI within 10 days – which could be an acknowledgment of receipt. This bill, however, requires CalGEM to issue a decision (approval or denial) on the NOI within 30 days. While the amount of time it currently takes CalGEM to approve or deny an NOI varies and depends on numerous factors, including, among other things, the type and complexity of the proposed drilling operation, the level of environmental review required (pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and the overall volume of applications CalGEM is reviewing at any given time, this bill, by imposing a firm deadline on CalGEM for a decision on an NOI (before the NOI is automatically deemed approved), is likely to result in increased workload and associated costs for the division.

COMMENTS:

1) Purpose. According to the author:

California is facing a serious energy security crisis as in-state oil and gas production declines and refineries shut down. Robust domestic production has never been more critical to protect working families from shortages, price spikes, and reliance on volatile, dirty, and unsafe overseas supplies. Unfortunately, loopholes in the current drilling permit process have allowed approval times for [NOIs] to drill to balloon from just days to many months – or even years. These excessive delays are stifling production at the very moment California needs it most.

AB 2711 closes these loopholes by requiring CalGEM to approve or deny a Notice of Intention within 30 working days of receipt. This common-sense reform will restore predictability and efficiency to the permitting process, strengthen our energy independence, and help safeguard California families and businesses from supply disruptions.

2) Background. CalGEM permits any activity involving the drilling, reentry, and plugging and abandonment of oil and gas wells. Oil and gas operators seeking approval for new wells must first obtain approval from local authorities,​ where applicable. Then, a company must submit an application to CalGEM before commencing any new operations. CalGEM is mandated to respond to an NOI application within 10 working days of submittal. If CalGEM does not respond within this timeframe, the NOI is deemed approved. After receiving approval, an operator must begin operations within 24 months or else the NOI expires.

CalGEM notes it thoroughly reviews each permit application for adherence to health and safety rules, environmental rules (via CEQA), and other state laws and guidelines. Generally, CalGEM will not approve an application unless the application meets CalGEM's regulatory requirements and potential impacts to health, safety, or the environment identified by CalGEM are effectively addressed by mitigating permit conditions.​

According to the California Independent Petroleum Association (CIPA), only 17 new drilling permits were approved in 2025, and the average approval time reached 240 days. CIPA argues this bill “addresses a serious and longstanding problem in the administration of [NOIs] to drill.” The association contends that under current practice, operators may receive an automated acknowledgment from CalGEM “that is treated as the agency’s required written response, while the actual approval or denial of the permit application can then languish for months or even years.” CIPA argues this bill closes this loophole “by requiring CalGEM to issue an approval or denial within 30 working days of receiving the notice, and to provide an explanation when a notice is denied.”

The California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA) is opposed to this bill and argues that “if a final approval or denial is required in 30 working days and the Department of Conservation is not staffed to meet that deadline, notices of intention to drill will be approved by default.” CEJA notes it is concerned “the proposed bill will create circumstances in which [NOIs] to drill will be approved solely because [DOC] staff do not have the time and resources to properly review and deny requests as current law allows.”

Analysis Prepared by: Nikita Koraddi / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: April 20, 2026

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES

Isaac G. Bryan, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2711 (

Author:Ellis) – As Introduced Ver:February 20, 2026

SUBJECT: Oil and gas: notice of intention

SUMMARY: Extends the amount of time the supervisor of the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) has to respond to a written notice of intention (NOI) to commence drilling and requires a denial to be accompanied with a comprehensive reason for the denial.

EXISTING LAW requires the operator of any well, before commencing the work of drilling the well, to file with the supervisor of CalGEM or the district deputy a NOI to commence drilling. Prohibits drilling from commencing until approval is given by the supervisor or the district deputy. Provides that if the supervisor or the district deputy fails to give the operator written response to the NOI within 10 working days from the date of receipt, that failure is considered as an approval of the notice and the notice, for the purposes and intents of this chapter, shall be deemed a written report of the supervisor. (Public Resources Code 3203)

THIS BILL:

1. Extends the amount of time the supervisor or the district deputy has from 10 days to 30 days from the date of receipt of the NOI to give the operator an approval or denial of the NOI.
2. Requires, if the NOI is denied by the supervisor or the district deputy within 30 working days from the date of receipt, the supervisor or district deputy to include in the denial a comprehensive reason for why the notice was denied.

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown

COMMENTS:

1. Author’s statement:

California is facing a serious energy security crisis as in-state oil and gas production declines and refineries shut down. Robust domestic production has never been more critical to protect working families from shortages, price spikes, and reliance on volatile, dirty, and unsafe overseas supplies.

Unfortunately, loopholes in the current drilling permit process have allowed approval times for Notices of Intention to drill to balloon from just days to many months—or even years. These excessive delays are stifling production at the very moment California needs it most.

AB 2711 closes these loopholes by requiring CalGEM to approve or deny a Notice of Intention within 30 working days of receipt. This common-sense reform will restore predictability and efficiency to the permitting process, strengthen our energy independence, and help safeguard California families and businesses from supply disruptions.

1. Notices of Intention. In California, a developer that wants to drill, expand, rework, or plug a traditional well must file a NOI to request and obtain CalGEM’s approval to drill before commencing operations. NOIs for new wells require various information such as the depth and elevation and well type, an assessment of the presence of freshwater or underground drinking water, and whether the location is in an urban area or near environmentally sensitive areas. Operators must also describe blowout prevention equipment and drilling fluids and disposal methods to be used, as well as technical details related to casing and cement usage, proposed work plan, and abandonment plan. A complete NOI must include evidence that the operator has satisfied local permitting requirements and CEQA requirements.

Under current law, CalGEM has 10 days to respond to an operator’s NOI before drilling or re-entering an oil or gas well. If CalGEM does not respond within that timeframe, the NOI is deemed approved.

According to UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy, and Environment paper Law and Policy Options to Facilitate a Phase-Out of Fossil Fuel Production in California (April 2020), in practice, many NOI reviews are processed and permitted well within the statutory period, with typical responses often occurring in about a week or less (within 5-7 business days).

After receiving approval, an operator must begin operations within 24 months or else the NOI expires.

1. This bill. The author argues that full approval or denial can then take months to years, significantly delaying drilling permit processing. This bill extends the amount of time the supervisor or the district deputy has to 30 days from the date of receipt of the NOI to give the operator an approval or denial of the NOI.
2. Committee amendments. The committee may wish to consider amending the bill to change the denial explanation from “comprehensive” to “rational.”

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

California Independent Petroleum Association

Opposition

Central California Environmental Justice Network

Analysis Prepared by: Paige Brokaw / NAT. RES. /