The bill establishes new bonding requirements for oil and gas operators in Wyoming, mandating the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to create rules that provide various bonding options. It introduces a bonding pool for operators, which can be funded through assessments on the fair cash market value of oil and gas produced, sold, or transported from their wells. The assessment will be zero from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2030, and may then be set at a maximum of $0.0005 per dollar. The bill also requires the commission to report annually on the bonding program's status, including operator participation and financial details.

Additionally, the bill amends existing laws to clarify the use of funds collected from the assessments, ensuring they are allocated for plugging dry or abandoned wells, reclamation, and other related expenses. It specifies that operators must maintain compliance with bonding requirements to participate in the bonding pool and allows for the transfer of financial assurances between operators under certain conditions. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, with immediate provisions for rule promulgation.

Statutes affected:
25LSO-0092 v0.8: 30-5-116, 30-5-404, 35-11-504