House Bill No. by Representative Riser seeks to amend Louisiana's laws on carbon dioxide sequestration, with a strong emphasis on protecting mineral servitude ownership. The bill introduces new legal language that underscores the public policy favoring geologic storage of carbon dioxide while ensuring that this does not compromise the public interest in the development of oil, gas, and other natural resources. Key changes include the removal of references to the withdrawal of sequestered carbon dioxide, the establishment of duties for the commissioner of conservation, and the requirement for consent from mineral servitude owners for unitization. Additionally, the bill suspends the prescription of nonuse for mineral servitudes during geologic storage operations, thereby safeguarding mineral rights.

The proposed amendments also redefine "geologic storage" to focus exclusively on long-term underground containment of CO2, eliminating short-term storage considerations. The bill modifies the jurisdiction of the commissioner of conservation to prioritize the protection of mineral rights during the operation of injection wells. It ensures that mineral servitude owners receive separate compensation for any rights affected by expropriation or unitization for geologic storage and clarifies notification requirements for permit applications. Furthermore, the bill repeals certain existing laws related to confidential business records in permit applications, enhancing the rights and protections of mineral servitude owners throughout the geologic storage process.

Statutes affected:
HB632 Original: 30:1102(A)(2), 30:1103(7), 30:1104(A)(3), 30:2(B), 30:1106(A), 30:1107(D), 30:1108(B)(3), 30:1109(S, 30:1110(C)(1), 30:1115(A), 30:1103(4), 30:1104(F), 30:2(H)