Shafter Zoning Code § 9.20 Unrestricted Drilling

No review or permit shall be required for the drilling of any steam injection well, steam drive well, service well, or any well intended for the exploration and development, production, storage, transmission, and treatment, and any accessory or ancillary equipment, structure, or facilities thereto, of oil, gas, and other hydrocarbon substances in the A (Agriculture), I (Industrial), or DI (Drilling Island) zone districts; or in Section 3.50.2 (Permitted Uses in the PE zone district) of the City provided that;

1. All drilling installations and operations comply with the requirements of State law and with adopted fire and safety ordinances and regulations of the City.

2. Drilling shall not be commenced within two-hundred fifty (250) feet of any existing residence without the written consent of the owner thereof.

3. Signs shall be limited to directional, warning, and identification signs in connection with oil, gas, or other hydrocarbon drilling and development operations.

4. Disposal of nonhazardous oilfield liquid waste and production water is considered an accessory facility only if the facility complies with the following:

   • a. The nonhazardous oilfield liquid waste or production water is produced and disposed of within the same designated oilfield; or

   • b. The nonhazardous oil field liquid waste or production water disposed of outside the designated oil field of origin is produced by and disposed of solely and only by the same individual, corporation, or entity.

5. Height limits shall be in accordance with Section 10.120 (Height Limitations) except that no height limit shall apply to derricks and other equipment used during the exploration and drilling phase of development not in conflict with Part 77 of the Federal Aviation Regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation, or any corresponding rules or regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration, as amended.

9.30

DRILLING BY CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT

1. No well for use as an injection well and no well for the exploration and development, production, storage, transmission, and treatment, and any accessory or ancillary equipment, structure, or facilities thereto, of oil, gas, or

Oil and Gas Production

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CITY OF SHAFTER DEVELOPMENT CODE

other hydrocarbon substances may be drilled or installed in any zone district, other than the A, I, DI, and PE zone districts in accordance with the provisions of Section 9.20 of this Chapter, until an application for a Conditional Use Permit has been submitted to and approved by the Planning Commission, consistent with the provisions of Section 2.50 (Conditional Use Permits) of this Title. The Planning Commission may waive any condition set forth in the development standards and conditions if it determines that there will be no material detriment to the public welfare or safety of persons and property located in the vicinity of such a well.

2. Disposal of nonhazardous oilfield liquid waste and production water is considered an accessory facility only if the facility complies with the following:

• a. The nonhazardous oilfield liquid waste or production water is produced and disposed of within the same designated oilfield; or

  • b. The nonhazardous oilfield liquid waste or production water disposed of outside the designated oilfield of origin is produced by and disposed of solely and only by the same individual, corporation, or entity.

3. If a producing well or service well is not completed upon land subject to said conditional use permit within twelve (12) months from the date of issuance of the conditional use permit, or within any extended period thereof, the conditional use permit shall expire and the premises shall be restored as nearly as practicable to its original condition. No permit shall expire while the permittee is continuously conducting drilling, redrilling, completing or abandoning operations, or related operations, in a well on the lands covered by such permit, where operations were commenced while said permit was otherwise in effect. Continuous operations are operations suspended not more than thirty (30) consecutive days. If, at the expiration of the twelve (12) month period, the permittee has not completed the drilling program on the lands covered by such permit, the Planning Commission may, upon a written request of the permittee, extend the permit for the additional time requested by the permittee for the completion of such drilling program.