Corona Municipal Code Ch. 14.04 General Provisions

(A) This title shall be cited as the "Oil and Gas Production Regulations of the City of Corona."

(B) "Regulations" as referred to in this title, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, means "the Oil and Gas Production Regulations of the City of Corona."

(`78 Code, § 14.04.010.)

(A) It is the purpose of this title to establish reasonable and uniform limitations, safeguards and controls for the future drilling, production, processing and storage of oil, gas and other hydrocarbon substances within such areas of the city as are permitted by the city’s zoning regulations (codified in Title 17) and code provisions.

(B) "Oil," as used in this chapter, means oil, gas, water and other hydrocarbon substances unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

(C) It is recognized that many citizens with substantial property investments do not own mineral rights and would not profit directly from oil development. The Council, therefore, finds that uncontrolled oil drilling and production would be detrimental to the general welfare of the residents of the city and to the public health, safety and morals.

(D) Limitations, safeguards and controls of oil production are deemed necessary to maintain the desirability of certain areas for residential, commercial or other land uses and are in the public interest and necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the city’s residents.

(E) It is contemplated that areas within the city may be explored for oil by directional drilling methods with surface drilling and production operations limited to a minimum of controlled drilling sites so located, spaced and regulated as to cause the least possible detriment to the community and the general welfare of the city.

(`78 Code, § 14.04.020.)

Notwithstanding the provisions of §§ 1.04.020 and 1.04.140, the following terms as used in this title shall, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, have the respective meanings set forth in this section.

(1) "Abandonment" means the restoration of the drill site as required by these regulations.

(2) "Agency" means the Oil Production Control Agency.

(3) "A.P.I." is the American Petroleum Institute.

(4) "Approved," "approved by the Agency," "approved type" or "approved design" includes improvements, equipment or facilities of a type or design approved by the Agency.

(5) "A.S.M.E." is the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

(6) "Blow-out" means the uncontrolled discharge of gas, liquid or solids or a mixture thereof from a well into the atmosphere.

(7) "Blow-out presenter" means a mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic or other device or a combination of such devices secured to the top of a well casing, including valves, fittings and control mechanisms connected therewith designed and capable of preventing a blow-out.

(8) "Building Code" means the Building Code of the city.

(9) "Building Department" means the Director of Building and Safety, his or her assistants, deputies and inspectors who fulfill the duties of the Building Department of the city.

(10) "Building permit" means the permit provided by the Building Code.

(11) "Cellar" means an excavation around or above the top joint of the casing in a well.

(12) "City Manager" means the City Manager and his or her representatives.

(13) "Completion of drilling" means a well is completed for the purpose of these regulations 30 days after the drilling crew has been released, unless drilling or remedial operations are resumed before the end of the 30 days.

(14) "Controlled drilling site" means the surface location upon which surface operations of a drilling island incident to oil well drilling or deepening and the production of oil substances from beneath the surface of real property located within the city may be permitted under the terms and conditions of this chapter and the city’s code. No drill site shall contain more than two and one-half acres or be of such size and shape that it cannot be contained within a square 330 feet.

(15) "Council" means the elected governing body of the city.

(16) "Derrick" is any framework, tower or mast, together with all parts and appurtenances to such structure, including any foundations or pump house used to house oil recovery equipment, commonly called longtails, pipe racks and each and every part thereof which is or are required, used or useful for the drilling for and the production of oil from the earth except tanks used for storage purposes.

(17) "Desertion" means the cessation of operations at a drill site without compliance with the provisions of this title relating to suspended operations or abandonment.

(18) "Diligence" means that the drilling derrick is in its operating position over the well, properly anchored and supported and that an operating crew is on duty at the drill site at all reasonable times.

(19) "Directional drilling" means whipstocking or slant drilling from a controlled drilling site or drilling island.

(20) "Division of Oil and Gas" means the Division of Oil and Gas of the Department of Natural Resources of the state or any other state agency that may in the future be charged with its responsibilities.

(21) "Drilling" means digging a hole in earth formation with a power-driven bit for the purpose of exploring for or developing of oil. “Drilling” includes those operations that are concerned with the completion of a well.

(22) "Drilling island" means a designated area on which one or more wells are located.

(23) "Drill site" means the premises used during the drilling and subsequent life of a well which is necessary for the safe operations thereof.

(24) "Engineering Department" means the city’s Director of Public Works, his or her assistants, representative engineers or inspectors.

(25) "Fire Department" means the city’s Fire Chief, his or her assistants, deputies or the assigned chief of the Fire Prevention Bureau and his or her assigned inspectors.

(26) "Gas" means the gaseous components or vapors occurring in or derived from petroleum or natural gas.

(27) "Maintenance" means the repair and replacement of parts of a structure where same does not alter or lessen the strength or stability of the structures.

(28) "Natural gasoline plant or absorption plant" means a plant for the processing of natural gas from the production wells and processed into its various components.

(29) "Oil" means petroleum, gas, water and other hydrocarbon substances.

(30) "Oil field recovery heater" means a once through forced circulation, water tube steam generator, used only in oil field thermal recovery operations, having no fixed pressure part larger than three-inch pipe size and no other pressure part larger than six-inch pipe size such as used for secondary recovery.

(31) "Operator" means person, whether proprietor, lessee or independent contractor, actually in charge and in control of the drilling, maintenance, operation or pumping of a well or leasehold.

(32) "Outer boundary line" applies where several contiguous parcels of land in one or different ownerships are operated as single oil or gas leasehold or operating unit and means the exterior limits of the land included in the lease or unit. In determining the contiguity of any such parcels of land, no street, road or alley lying within the leasehold or unit shall be deemed to interrupt such contiguity.

(33) "Owner" means a person who owns a legal or equitable title in and to the surfaces of a drill site.

(34) "Person" includes any individual, firm, association, partnership, corporation, joint venture or any other group or combination acting as a unit.

(35) "Petroleum" includes within its meaning oil.

(36) "Redrilling" means the subsequent deepening of an existing oil well or otherwise drilling beyond the extremities or sides of the existing well casing. The provisions of this chapter relating to drilling shall be equally applicable to redrilling.

(37) "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Agency.

(38) "Source of ignition" means any flame, arc, spark or heated object or surface capable of igniting flammable liquids, gases or vapors.

(39) "Structure" means that which is built or constructed, a tank, edifice or a building of any kind, not including appurtenances used in oil production or wells of any sort.

(40) "Sump hole" means an unlined earthen pit adjacent to an oil well for the discharge of oil field wastes.

(41) "Suspended operations" means the temporary suspension of drilling or redrilling operations pending a resumption of operations or abandonment.

(42) "Tank" means a container, covered or uncovered, used in conjunction with the drilling or production of an oil well for holding or storing liquids at or near atmospheric pressure.

(43) "Well or oil well" means a hole drilled into the earth for the purpose of exploring for or extracting from the earth oil or a well or hole in the earth by means of and through which oil is extracted, produced or capable of being produced from the earth or a well or hole for the purpose of secondary recovery or waste disposal thereof. Well does not include within its meaning a shot hole.

(44) "Well servicing" means remedial or maintenance work performed within any existing well which does not involve drilling or redrilling.

(`78 Code, § 14.04.030.)

The provisions of this title shall not in any manner repeal, amend, modify or supersede the zoning regulations of the city as provided in Title 17, but shall be in addition to and supplementary to the provisions of such zoning laws.

(`78 Code, § 14.04.040.)

These regulations shall not affect the use of property existing on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this title. Such use in accordance with the city’s zoning regulations shall be nonconforming, but the use shall not be expanded. All other provisions of these regulations shall be applicable to such properties or operations.

(`78 Code, § 14.04.050.)

(A) The provisions of this title are not intended to prevent the use of any material or method of construction not specifically prescribed by this title, provided any such nonprescribed alternate has been approved by the Agency. The Agency may approve any such alternate if it finds that the proposed design conforms to the intent of this title and that the proposed material or method is, for the purpose intended, at least equivalent to materials and methods prescribed by this title as to quality, strength, effectiveness, fire resistance, durability and safety.

(B) The Agency shall require that sufficient evidence or proof be submitted to substantiate any claims as to alternate materials or methods as to their use. If there is insufficient evidence that the proposed alternate methods and materials comply with the intent of this title or evidence that any material or method of construction does not conform to the requirements of this title, the Agency may require tests to be made at the expense of the applicant by an organization approved by the Agency to establish compliance. The Agency shall determine the test methods and procedures. Copies of the results of all such tests shall be retained by the Agency for not less than two years after approval of the materials or methods.

(`78 Code, § 14.04.060.)