Any person, firm or corporation before making any drilling exploration in this State for oil or natural gas shall register with the Department of Environmental Quality. To provide for such registration, the drilling operator must furnish the name and address of such person, firm or corporation, and the location of the proposed drilling operations, and file with the Department a bond running to the State of North Carolina in an amount totaling the sum of (i) five thousand dollars ($5,000) plus (ii) one dollar ($1.00) per linear foot proposed to be drilled for the well. Any well opened by the drilling operator shall be plugged upon abandonment in accordance with the rules of the Department. ?(1945, c. 765, s. 2; 1971, c. 813, s. 1; 1973, c. 1262, s. 86; 1977, c. 771, s. 4; 1987, c. 827, s. 110; 1989, c. 727, s. 118; 1997-443, s. 11A.119(a); 2011-276, s. 1; 2013-365, s. 5(a); 2015-241, s. 14.30(u).)

Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 113-378

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3