Article 8 — DRILLING CONDITIONS.

The following standard conditions shall apply to all wells, well sites and drill sites except as provided herein.

No person shall drill any oil well hole upon any land in which the City has any right, title or interest without first having obtained the written consent of the City Council therefor.

(Amended by O-2705)

No person shall drill any oil well hole, the surface of which is within one hundred (100) feet from the property line of any street or highway; provided, however, that such provision shall not apply to prohibit the drilling of a new oil well within said distance if such well is located within an existing drilling site and the Oil Board

determines that such drilling will not create a hazard to life or property. In making such determination, the Oil Board shall consider, among other factors, the size and dimensions of the site, the adequacy of the guying and other safety measures for the drilling rig, and whether satisfactory alternative sites or locations are available. The provisions of the Section shall not apply to drilling permits issued before June 1, 1974, or to the redrilling or deepening of an existing well.

a) No person shall drill any oil well hole within one hundred (100) feet from any existing oil well hole as shown on the latest Torrance Oil Field Map as published by the State Division of Oil and Gas, unless an exception therefor has been granted by the Planning Commission.

b) Any owner of land, oil and gas lessee or other person having the right to drill for oil and gas thereon may apply for such exception. Such application shall include such information as is prescribed by the Planning Commission. It shall be filed with the Planning Director and shall be accompanied by a fee of Thirty-Five Dollars ($35.00) to cover the cost of publication and the processing of the application. The Planning Commission shall hold a hearing on such application as soon as practicable after filing. Notice of the hearing shall be published at least five (5) days prior to the date of the hearing in the newspaper having the contract for the publication of the City’s legal notices.

c) The Planning Commission, after notice and hearing as aforesaid, shall grant such exception whenever, in its reasonable judgment, drilling at the location proposed by the applicant is necessary to offset the drainage of oil and gas from the land of the applicant. The applicant shall have the burden of proving such drainage.

No person shall drill any oil well hole, the surface of which is within three hundred (300) feet of any property used for a school or hospital.

No person shall drill any oil well hole, the surface of which is within twenty-five (25) feet from any property line or within one hundred (100) feet from any existing dwelling. Where two (2) or more contiguous parcels of land are operated as a unit, the outermost boundary lines of such parcels shall be considered the property line for the purpose of this Section.

(Amended by O-2505)

No person shall operate any oil production power repair, maintenance or abandonment equipment, conduct oil well drilling, redrilling or gravel packing operations, or operate heavy oil production power repair, maintenance, abandonment or drilling equipment or rigs except at times and in the manner provided therefor in Section 46.3.2. of this Code.

No person shall transport any crude oil or brine by truck from any oil well production site between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.; provided, however, that the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any oil well production site which is located three hundred (300) or more feet from a dwelling.

(Amended by O-2705)

Section 97.8.4. shall not apply to any oil well, well site or drill site in a Combining Oil District approved by the City which is included in a unit agreement or secondary recovery plan approved by the California State Division of Oil and Gas.