4VAC25-160-30. Administrative provisions.

A. The Virginia Gas and Oil Board shall meet on the third Tuesday of each calendar month unless no action is required by the board or unless otherwise scheduled by the board. All hearings shall be scheduled in accordance with the requirements for notice by publication in § 45.1-361.19 of the Code of Virginia. Except where otherwise established by the Act, the board may establish deadlines for filing materials for meetings or hearings scheduled on other than the third Tuesday of each month. Except where otherwise established by the Act, filings shall be in electronic form or a format prescribed by the board.

B. Applications to the board must be filed by the following deadlines:

1. All applications, petitions, appeals or other requests for board action must be received by the division at least 30 calendar days prior to the regularly scheduled meeting of the board. If the 30th day falls on a weekend or a legal holiday, the deadline shall be the prior business day.

2. When required, two copies of the following material must be filed with the division at least seven calendar days prior to the regularly scheduled meeting of the board in order for the application to be considered a complete application:

a. The affidavit demonstrating that due diligence was used to locate and serve persons in accordance with § 45.1-361.19 of the Code of Virginia and 4VAC25-160-40; and

b. Proof of notice by publication in accordance with 4VAC25-160-40 D.

C. A complete application that is not filed by the deadlines of this subsection shall be carried over to the next scheduled meeting of the board. A submission that does not contain a complete application shall not be considered by the board until the application is complete.

D. The division shall assign a docket number to each application or petition at the time of payment receipt and filing. The division shall notify the applicant of the completed filing and assigned docket number. The docket number shall be referenced when submitting material regarding the application or petition.

E. In addition to the other requirements of this chapter, applications to the board shall meet the following standards:

1. Each application for a hearing before the board shall be headed by a caption which shall contain a heading including:

a. "Before the Virginia Gas and Oil Board";

b. The name of the applicant;

c. The relief sought; and

d. The docket number assigned by the division.

2. Each application shall be signed by the applicant, an authorized agent of the applicant, or an attorney for the applicant, certifying that, "The foregoing application to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief is true and correct."

3. Exhibits shall be identified by the docket number and an exhibit number and may be introduced as part of a person's presentation.

4. Applicants shall submit eight sets a copy of each application and exhibits. Each person offering exhibits into evidence shall also have available a reasonably sufficient number of exhibits for other persons who are subject to the provisions of §§ 45.1-361.19 and 45.1-361.23 of the Code of Virginia, who have notified the division  of their request for copies of exhibits, and are expected to be in attendance at the hearing.

F. Applications for the establishment and modification of a unit, spacing or pooling shall be accompanied by a $130 nonrefundable fee, payable to the Treasurer of Virginia.

G. All parties in any proceeding before the board are entitled to appear in person or be represented by counsel, as provided for in the Administrative Process Act, § 2.2-4000 et seq. of the Code of Virginia.

4VAC25-160-40. Notice of hearings.

A. Each applicant for a hearing to establish an exception to statewide spacing under § 45.1-361.17 of the Code of Virginia shall provide notice by electronic mail, by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by another commercial carrier including but not limited to FedEx and UPS, return receipt requested, to all gas, oil, coal or mineral owners having an interest underlying any tract located within the distances provided in § 45.1-361.17 of the Code of Virginia or the distance to the nearest well completed in the same pool, whichever is less. Each applicant for a hearing to establish an exception to a well location provided for in a drilling unit established by an order of the board shall provide notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, to all gas, oil, coal or mineral owners having an interest underlying the unit where the exception is requested.

B. Each applicant shall include, in or with the mailed notice of the hearing required under § 45.1-361.19 of the Code of Virginia, the following information:

1. The name and address of the applicant and the applicant's counsel, if any;

2. In the case of an application to vacate or amend an order, identification of the order to be vacated or amended;

3. A statement of the relief sought and proposed provisions of the order or proposed order;

4. Citations of statutes, rules, orders and decided cases supporting the relief sought;

5. A statement of the type of well or wells (gas, oil or coalbed methane gas);

6. a. For a pooling order, the notice should include: a plat showing the size and shape of the proposed unit and boundaries of tracts within the unit. The location of the proposed unit shall be shown in accordance with the Virginia Coordinate System of 1983, as defined in Chapter 17 (§ 55-287 et seq.) of Title 55 of the Code of Virginia, also known as the State Plane Coordinate System. The plat shall include property lines taken from (i) deed descriptions and chain of title, (ii) county courthouse records, or (iii) a physical survey for each land track in the unit. The location of the well and the percentage of acreage in each tract in the unit shall be certified by a licensed land surveyor or a licensed professional engineer and attested by the applicant as to its conformity to existing orders issued by the board;

b. For a field rule, the notice should include: a description of the pool or pools in the field, the boundaries of the field, information on the acreage and boundaries of the units proposed to be in the field and any proposed allowable production rates; or

c. For a location exception, the notice should include: a description of the proposed well location in relation to other wells within statewide spacing limits or in relation to the allowable area for drilling within a unit;

7. A description of the interest or claim of the respondent being notified;

8. A description of the formation or formations to be produced;

9. An estimate of the amount of reserves of the unit;

10. An estimate of the allowable costs in accordance with 4VAC25-160-100; and

11. How interested persons may obtain additional information or a complete copy of the application.

C. When after a diligent search the identity or location of any person to whom notice is required to be given in accordance with subsection A or B of this section is unknown at the time the applicant applies for a hearing before the board, the applicant for the hearing shall cause a notice to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, counties, city, or cities where the land or the major portion thereof which is the subject of the application is located. The notice shall include:

1. The name and address of the applicant;

2. A description of the action to be considered by the board;

3. A map showing the general location of the area that would be affected by the proposed action and or a description that clearly describes the location or boundaries of the area that would be affected by the proposed action sufficient to enable local residents to identify the area;

4. The date, time and location of the hearing at which the application is scheduled to be heard; and

5. How interested persons may obtain additional information or a complete copy of the application.

D. Notice of a hearing made in accordance with § 45.1-361.19 of the Code of Virginia or this section shall be sufficient, and no additional notice is required to be made by the applicant upon a postponement or continuance of the hearing.

E. Each applicant for a hearing to modify an order established under § 45.1-361.21 or § 45.1-361.22 of the Code of Virginia shall provide notice in accordance with § 45.1-361.19 of the Code of Virginia to each person having an interest underlying the tract or tracts to be affected by the proposed modification.

F. An applicant filing a petition to modify a forced pooling order established under § 45.1-361.21 or § 45.1-361.22 of the Code of Virginia to change the unit operator based on a change in the corporate name of the unit operator; a change in the corporate structure of the unit operator; or a transfer of the unit operator's interests to any single subsidiary, parent or successor by merger or consolidation is not required to provide notice. Other applicants for a hearing to modify a forced pooling order shall provide notice in accordance with § 45.1-361.19 of the Code of Virginia to each respondent named in the order to be modified whose interest may be affected by the proposed modification.

4VAC25-160-110. Recordkeeping.

A. Each unit operator shall maintain records of production, income, payments made to lessors and escrow agents, any suspended payments, and other information prescribed by the board until the later of:

1. When the permits for all wells in the unit have been released by the department;

2. Twenty-four months after all escrowed funds for competing claims to ownership of coalbed methane gas in the unit have been paid out under order of the board; or

3. When so ordered by the board.

B. Each unit operator shall maintain itemized records of all costs charged to participating or nonparticipating operators until the later of:

1. Twenty-four months after all costs attributable to participating or nonparticipating operators have been settled and paid; or

2. When so ordered by the board.

C. Upon transfer of the right to conduct operations in a pooled drilling unit to a new unit operator, the old unit operator shall transfer all records required to be maintained in accordance with this section to the new unit operator. The old unit operator will not be released from responsibility as the unit operator until he has submitted, to the board, evidence an affidavit that the records have been received by the new unit operator.

D. In the event a unit operator wishes to terminate its legal existence and the unit is not transferred to a new unit operator, or when the permit for any well in the unit has been revoked and the bond forfeited by the department, the unit operator shall transfer, to the board, all records required to be maintained in accordance with this section.