The Oklahoma Senate has advanced Senate Bill 132, authored by Sen. George Burns, to address the growing number of shut-in gas wells across the state. The measure now heads to the House for consideration.
A “shut-in gas well” refers to a well that is temporarily closed off, ceasing production, but can be brought back into operation later, often due to market conditions, maintenance or other operational reason.
Senate Bill 132 establishes a timeline for the management of shut-in wells, ensuring they are either plugged or brought back into production. Under the bill, any gas well shut-in after the bill’s effective date may remain inactive for no more than seven years. For wells already shut-in prior to the bill’s passage, owners will have up to ten years to either plug the well or return it to production…