The Oklahoma Corporation Commission has passed emergency rules for expanded long-lateral drilling.
Previously, horizontal oil and gas wells more than a mile long were only allowed in shale formations. Corporation commission spokesman Matt Skinner said that changes Friday.
"The legislature has made a law — and the governor signed it — to say, 'Well, you can go anywhere,'" Skinner said. "So, it's up to the commission, then, to adopt rules to govern that law. We don't make law; we only make the rules under the law."
The governor signed the Oklahoma Energy and Jobs Act May 31, leaving the commission a short window to hold hearings and write new rules. As such, they borrow from existing rules for long laterals in shale.
"But, because shale formations have their own unique characteristics and this will allow for long laterals anywhere, including in areas where there are many, many, many vertical wells that have long since been producing, the concern, of course, is protection of what are called correlative rights and people who are already there," Skinner said.
The emergency rules should be considered a moving target.
"We're quite sure that other rules will be needed, and work is already underway on those," Skinner said. "But, for now, there was broad agreement with all the stakeholders who were involved in the rulemaking process that this was as good a way to start as any."
