(a) Following the cessation of injection operations on a carbon storage lease, the lessee shall submit an abandonment and restoration plan to the commissioner. The plan must detail the lessee's plan for restoring the leased area to a condition satisfactory to the commissioner and
- (1) provide for the removal of equipment, facilities, infrastructure, or other improvements from the leased area; or
- (2) request approval from the commissioner to leave specific equipment, facilities, infrastructure, or other improvements in place.
- (b) The commissioner will either approve the plan submitted by the lessee or propose modifications that, if accepted by the lessee, would qualify the plan for approval.
- (c) The commissioner will consult with the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission prior to approving the plan.
- (d) The commissioner may inspect the lessee's records and conduct site inspections to evaluate whether an approved plan has been complied with.
- (e) The lessee shall provide an annual status report detailing the activities undertaken under the abandonment and restoration plan.
- (f) A lessee may apply to close a carbon storage lease upon receiving a certificate of completion under AS 41.06.170.
- (g) After the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission issues a certificate of completion under AS 41.06.170, any improvements that the commissioner directs the lessee to leave in place under the abandonment and restoration plan will become the property of the state and the lessee will have no further responsibility for maintenance, repair, abandonment, and rehabilitation for such improvements.
(Eff. 2/16/2025, Register 253)
Authority: AS 37.14.850, AS 38.05.700, AS 38.05.740, AS 41.06.170