AOGCC issues geothermal regulations

The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission has published regulations dealing with geothermal resources; the regulations have an effective date of Sept. 30.

The Legislature gave the commission authority over geothermal drilling earlier this year, and its regulations were amended to include: “All wells drilled in search of or in support of the recovery or production of geothermal resources.”

Geothermal drilling was previously regulated by the Department of Natural Resources.

Most of the regulations address the calculation method for regulatory cost charges for geothermal wells, based on the volume of geothermal resources produced.

The commission also expanded the definition of a well, previously defined as a hole penetrating the ground from which oil or gas can be produced, to include geothermal resources.

—Petroleum News