Oil & Gas
Oil & Gas Well / Pipeline Projects
Applications for oil and gas well or pipeline applications will be listed in the Oil and Gas / Pipeline Projects page. Current status, submitted documents, project timeline and future anticipated dates for the next step will be noted. The City Council must first approve a Special Use Permit (SUP) before an applicant may apply for many of the oil and gas / pipeline permits.
Updated Pipelines, Oil & Gas Well Regulations
City Council approved the Second Reading for revisions to the oil and gas regulations and fees at its regular Council meeting on March 12, 2013. Below is a brief summary of changes.
- Adds language for the Oil and Gas Compliance Office or designee to access the site as a result of a complaint, enforcement, or violation, or for the purposes of inspection and examination.
- Clarifies that a bond or letter of credit is required for a permit.
- Removes the ability to reduce the bond requirement by 70 percent after drilling given the continued liability to the city that exists throughout the entire process.
- Adds activities contrary to public health, welfare, and safety to the list of offenses under the penalty section.
- Clarifies penalties as related to existing sites as well.
- Includes minor changes to various areas of code to address pre-existing sites, such as applicability of the ordinance and a process for registration and inspection in accordance with appropriate codes.
Please note that oil and gas well drilling and some operations associated with pipelines require a Special Use Permit (SUP). Please see the land use charts in Article III and the regulations in Sec. 125-90.G., Article IV of the Zoning Ordinance. Other helpful links include:
- Oil and Gas Well Drilling – Chapter 42, Article III (Updated March 12, 2013) (PDF)
- Drilling Production, Plugging and Abandonment – Chapter 42, Article IV (Updated March 12, 2013) (PDF)
- Pipelines and Pump Stations – Chapter 42, Article V (Updated March 12, 2013) (PDF)
- Distancing and Setback Requirements for Oil and Gas Well Drilling Site Exhibit (PDF)
- Comparison of Old vs. New Regulations for Pipelines, Oil and Gas Wells (PDF)
Application
Fees
Public Hearings & Workshops
- Presentation from March 22, 2012 Special Meeting On Langley Well (PDF)
- City Council 2nd Reading on ordinance revisions scheduled for August 9, 2011
- Public Hearing on ordinance revisions scheduled for July 26, 2011
- Public Hearing on ordinance revisions scheduled for July 11, 2011
- Public Hearing on ordinance revisions scheduled for June 20, 2011
- Public Hearing on ordinance revisions scheduled for June 16, 2011
View bio’s for each of the speakers who spoke at the meeting as well as their presentations in PDF format.
Research on Distancing & Setbacks
- Chart – 1,000-Foot Drilling Setbacks within Texas (by population density) (PDF)
- Table – 1,000-Foot Drilling Setbacks from Protected Uses of Cities within Texas (PDF)
- Table – Various Drilling Setbacks from Protected Uses of Cities within Texas (PDF)
- Table – Storage/Batter Tank Setbacks from Protected Uses of Cities within Texas (PDF)
- Table – Survey of Cities’ Pipeline, Oil and Gas Regulations (PDF)