Article 1 — GENERAL.

(Amended by O-2364; O-2477; O-2521; O-2830)

For the purpose of this Chapter, certain words are defined as follows:

a) Deepen means any extension of existing well bore below its existing depth.

b) Derrick means any permanent or stationary structure or facility placed over an oil well for the purpose of raising or lowering pipe, casing, tubing or other drilling and producing equipment into or out of such oil well.

c) Drill means to sink, bore or otherwise create a hole in the earth, whether or not the same is completed as a well, or to work upon or any way assist in such drilling, but does not include any operations performed in or in connection with such well from and after the completion thereof as a producing well.

d) Guy line or wind guy line means a wire rope attached to a derrick or portable mast and to a fixed anchor at or near ground level for the purpose of stabilizing the derrick or mast.

e) Maintenance means any operation associated with or required to keep an existing well producing, the repairing of existing equipment, well pulling, cleaning out operations, plugging back and gravel packing, but does not include redrilling or deepening.

f) Oil Well means any bore, hole or well which is drilled, sunk or bored for the purpose of determining the existence of, or removing, or reintroducing into the ground any oil or gas; or to be used in any way as an accessory to the production of oil or gas, including but not limited to the injection or disposal of water; but excluding any well drilled solely for the production of fresh water.

g) Oil well equipment means all surface facilities used in the production of oil or gas, including but not limited to pumping units, motor, tanks, oil and gas separators, heater-treaters, shipping pumps, electrical facilities, water knock outs, meter and gauging installations, compressors, vacuum pumps and chemical treating facilities.

h) Operator means any person drilling, maintaining, operating, pumping or in control of any oil well. However, if the operator as herein defined is different from the lessee under an oil and gas lease of any premises affected by the provisions of this Chapter, then such lessee shall also be deemed to be an operator. In the event that there is no oil and gas lease relating to any premises affected by this Chapter, then the owner of the fee estate in the premises shall also be deemed an operator.

(O-1203; O-2477)

i) Outrigger means a stiff-legged mechanical device used to create a wider base for a portable mast.

j) Owner means the owner of the right to drill for and extract oil, gas or other hydrocarbon substances.

(O-1203)

k) Portable mast means any jack knife, gin pole, cantilever, telescope or other portable structure designed for lowering or raising piping, casing, tubing or other drilling and producing equipment into or out of an oil well.

l) Processing includes the use of facilities for gauging, recycling, compression, repressuring, injection, reinjection, dehydration, stimulation, separation (including liquids from gas), shipping and transportation of, and gathering from other sites of oil, gas and other hydrocarbon substances and water and combinations thereof.

m) Redrill means any drilling operation (including deviation from original well bore) to recomplete said well in the same or different zone.

n) Registered engineer means an engineer registered in the State of California and authorized by the laws of said State to perform the particular task or make the particular decision which the provisions of this Chapter require to be performed or made by a registered engineer.

o) Rework or repair means any work within an existing bore hole.

p) Sump means any excavation used or intended to be used for the purpose of storing hydrocarbon, aqueous saline or other production of an oil well.

(Amended by O-2364)

a) Notwithstanding a provision of this Code to the contrary, no person shall drill or redrill or deepen or cause to be drilled, redrilled or deepened any oil well in the City unless an exception, variance or drilling permit therefor has been granted in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter.

b) No person shall drill, redrill or deepen or cause to be drilled, redrilled or deepened any oil well which is bottomed or is to be bottomed in or under land located in the City from a surface location outside the City unless a drilling permit therefor has been granted in accordance with the provisions of Article 11 of this Chapter 7, the same as if such well were located in a Combining Oil District.

(Added by O-2130; Amended by O-2194)

The City Council may grant an exception which will permit the drilling, redrilling or deepening of an oil well hole based on the criteria used for the granting of variances as set forth in Section 94.1.5. An application for an exception shall be made and processed in the manner applicable to variances delineated in Chapter 4 of this Division 9.

97.1.4 Repealed by O-2521.

(Added by O-2530)

The operator of any oil well who is required to file any of the following written notices and applications with the State Division of Oil and Gas (DOG) under Division 3 of the State Public Resources Code shall file concurrently therewith, a duplicate thereof with the City Clerk:

a) Notice of Intention to Drill Well. DOG Form No. 105;

• b) Notice of Intention to Redrill, Deepen, Plug or Alter Well, DOG Form No. 107;

• c) Notice of Intention to Abandon Well, DOG Form No. 108;

d) Supplementary Notice to Redrill, Deepen, Plug or Alter Well, DOG Form No. 123;

• e) Designation of Agent, DOG Form Nos. 134a and 134b;

f) Application for approval of proposed Unitization Agreement pursuant to Section 3642 of said Code;

g) Application for approval of proposed modification of an approved Unit Agreement pursuant to Section 3650 of said Code;

h) Application for approval of injection projects.

(Added by O-276)

Whenever the words Oil Board appear in any Section in this Chapter 7 (the Oil Code) of Division 9 of the Torrance Municipal Code, it shall mean the Environmental Quality Commission. On and after January 15, 1978, the Environmental Quality Commission shall perform all the duties and have all the powers of the Oil Board as set forth in said Chapter 7.