HB 129: "An Act relating to approval for oil and gas or gas only exploration and development in a geographical area; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 129 01 "An Act relating to approval for oil and gas or gas only exploration and development in 02 a geographical area; and providing for an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 38.05.035 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 05 (o) The director may approve exploration or development for all or part of an 06 area previously approved for oil and gas or gas only leasing under (e) of this section, 07 without regard to individual lease boundaries. An approval under this subsection 08 applies to oil and gas or gas only leases leased before or during a period for up to 10 09 years, as specified by the director in the approval. When authorizing exploration or 10 development under this subsection, the department will provide public notice and the 11 opportunity to comment using the methods described in AS 38.05.945(b) and (c). The 12 approval authorizes a lessee to begin exploration or development on the lease during 13 the specified period, subject to the lessee receiving other authorizations required from 14 the department or other state or federal agencies. Once a lessee begins exploration or
01 development on a lease, the approval for the exploration under this subsection or the 02 approval of the development under this subsection remains valid for the term of the 03 lease. This subsection does not relieve lessees of any statutory, regulatory, or lease 04 obligations, including any obligations to submit for approval plans of operation, of 05 exploration, or of development. In this subsection, "area" means those lands described 06 as areawide lease sales by the department in its five-year program of proposed oil and 07 gas or gas only lease sales prepared under AS 38.05.180(b). 08 * Sec. 2. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).