Oil and gas: demonstration zones: California State University, Bakersfield.

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 and the operation, maintenance, and removal or abandonment of tanks and facilities related to oil and gas production within an oil and gas field so as to prevent damage to life, health, property, and natural resources. 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. Existing law prohibits an operator from injecting a concentrated carbon dioxide fluid produced by a carbon dioxide capture, removal, or sequestration project into a Class II well, as defined, for purposes of enhanced oil recovery, including the facilitation of enhanced oil recovery from another well. This bill would provide that it is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation authorizing California State University, Bakersfield, over a 10-year period, to establish a demonstration zone in existing oil fields for research and development purposes to test advanced carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery techniques in partnership with local industry in order to achieve neutral or net negative emissions.