NR 134.01NR 134.01 Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to establish a licensing procedure and minimum standards for oil and gas exploration in this state for the specific protection of waters of the state, both surface and ground, as provided in ss. 281.11 and 281.12, Stats.

NR 134.01 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, October, 1985, No. 358, eff. 11-1-85; corrections made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, October, 1999, No. 526.

NR 134.02NR 134.02 Applicability. The provisions of this chapter are applicable to all oil and gas exploration as defined in s. NR 134.03.

NR 134.03(1)(1) “Abandonment” means filling or sealing a drillhole in accordance with the procedures specified under s. NR 134.05.

NR 134.03(2)(2) “Department” means department of natural resources.

NR 134.03(3)(3) “Driller” means a person who performs core, rotary, percussion or other drilling involved in exploration for oil and gas.

NR 134.03(4)(4) “Drilling site” means the area disturbed by exploration including the drillhole.

NR 134.03(5)(5) “Explorer” means any person who engages in exploration or who contracts for the services of drillers for the purpose of exploration.

NR 134.03(6)(6) “Exploration” means the onsite geologic examination from the surface of an area by core, rotary, percussion or other drilling for the purpose of searching for oil and gas or establishing the nature and extent of a known oil and gas deposit and includes associated activities such as clearing and preparing sites or constructing roads for drilling. For the purposes of the definition of exploration, geologic examination does not include drillholes constructed for the purpose of collecting soil samples or for determining geologic information by seismic methods.

NR 134.03(7)(7) “Exploration license” means the license required by this chapter, as a condition of engaging in exploration.

NR 134.03(8)(8) “License year” means the period of time commencing on July 1 of any year and ending on the following June 30.

NR 134.03(9)(9) “Oil and gas” means material occurring naturally in the earth composed predominantly of mixtures of chemical components of carbon and hydrogen, including, if present, other nonmetallic elements such as sulfur, hydrogen, oxygen, or nitrogen. Such material may occur in the gaseous, liquid, or solid state.

NR 134.03(10)(10) “Parcel” means a section, fractional section or government lot.

NR 134.03(11)(11) “Termination” means permanent abandonment of drillholes and reclamation and revegetation of drilling sites.

NR 134.04(1)(1) No explorer may engage in exploration in this state without securing an exploration license.

NR 134.04(2)(2) Any explorer wishing to engage in exploration in this state shall file an application for an exploration license with the department on forms prepared and furnished by the department. The application shall be accompanied by the following:

NR 134.04(2)(b)(b) A bond payable to the department in the amount of $50,000 conditioned on faithful performance of the provisions of this chapter.