The mission of the Oil and Gas Commission is to prevent waste and encourage conservation of the Arkansas oil,
natural gas, and brine resources, to protect the correlative rights associated with those resources, and to respect the environment
during the production, extraction, and transportation of those resources.
Our vision is to serve the citizens of Arkansas and the regulated community with an efficient, effective, scientific, and technical based
regulatory framework to support economic development for Arkansas.
Regulatory Functions:
- Conduct compliance inspections during drilling process and operational life of well.
- Conduct monthly administrative hearings to enforce provisions of the oil and gas statutes and regulations.
- Initiate production test to establish production allowable.
- Issue authority to operate and produce wells through approval of well completions and recompletions.
- Issue authority to plug and abandon wells to insure protection of fresh water zones and production intervals.
- Issue permits to conduct seismic operations for exploration of oil and natural gas.
- Issue permits to drill oil, natural gas, and brine production wells, and other types of exploratory holes.
- Issue permits to drill and operate Class II UIC enhanced oil recovery injection wells and saltwater disposal wells.
- Issue permits to drill and operate Class V UIC brine injection wells for the disposal of spent brine fluids following removal of bromine and other minerals.