OKOGA Statement On Lawsuit To Clarify Regulatory Jurisdiction Of Oil And Gas Operations

The Oklahoma Oil and Gas Association (OKOGA) released the following statement regarding a lawsuit filed at the Oklahoma State Supreme Court about the Oklahoma Corporation Commission’s (OCC) exclusive jurisdiction over oil and natural gas operations.

"Oklahoma oil and natural gas companies want to do the right thing by recycling water from production activities. Unfortunately, the Kingfisher County Commissioners’ actions undermine Oklahoma’s statutory and constitutional system for regulating oil and gas production. Their actions also thwart the recommendations and conclusions of the Governor’s Produced Water Working Group, which was designed to address state-wide seismicity concerns while conserving water and promoting recycling. The use of temporary water lines is an industry-standard practice critical for successful water-reuse operations,” said OKOGA President Chad Warmington.

“Despite the energy industry’s best efforts to resolve this dispute through negotiation and education, it has become clear the courts will need to intervene to clarify that the regulation of the transportation and disposal of produced water lies exclusively with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, not county commissioners,” he said. “As OKOGA stated in its brief, if each and every county could dictate its own rules and regulations for produced water transportation, it would create 77 different sets of laws for oil and gas production in Oklahoma. That sort of chaos and uncertainty is precisely why this state has long adhered to a unified system of regulation in oil and gas production.”

“We hope the Supreme Court will quickly take up this case to help energy companies and Oklahoma communities work together to recycle more water, lessen the use of disposal wells and protect Oklahoma’s roads,” he said.

About Oklahoma Oil and Gas Association (OKOGA)
The Oklahoma Oil and Gas Association (OKOGA), founded in 1919, is the oldest energy trade association in the United States. Nearly a century later, the association remains dedicated to the advancement and improvement of the oil and natural gas industry within the state of Oklahoma and throughout the nation. It is a non-profit association composed of oil and gas producers, operators, purchasers, pipelines, transporters, processors, refiners, marketers and service companies which represent a substantial sector of the oil and natural gas industry within Oklahoma. The activities of OKOGA include support for legislative and regulatory measures designed to promote both the well-being and best interests of the citizens of this state and a strong and vital petroleum industry within the State of Oklahoma and throughout the United States.