California Oil and Gas Permits

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CalGEM permits any activity involving the drilling, well re-entry, and plugging and abandonment.

Oil and gas operators seeking approval for new wells must first obtain approval from local authorities,​ where applicable. Then, a company must submit an application to CalGEM before commencing any new operations. CalGEM is mandated to respond to a Notice of Intent (NOI) application within 10 working days of submittal.

CalGEM thoroughly reviews each permit application for adherence to health and safety rules, environmental rules (California Environmental Quality Act or CEQA), and other state laws and guidelines. CalGEM will not approve an application unless it meets all CalGEM's regulatory requirements and any potential impacts to health, safety, or the environment identified by CalGEM are effectively addressed by mitigating permit conditions.​ ​
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Application and Permit Reports​

Applications (or Notices of Intention) and permits are reported here weekly, usually published by Wednesday. [NOTE: The number of permits issued does not directly correlate to an increased number of oil wells, because not all permits are for drilling new wells.]

​​Weekly data prior to January 1, 2026 is available through file request.​​


2026 Year to Date Permit Report​​​ ​​(Excel)​​​Updated:3/3/2026

​​2026 SB 237 weekly report--Kern County (Excel) Updated: 2/24/2026​

​​SB 237 validates Kern County’s compliance with CEQA for its oil and gas ordinance and confirms CalGEM’s authority to rely on the County’s environmental review in permitting of oil and gas production operations in Kern County.​


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Permit Review Process

All permit requests undergo the following review process: 

  • Initial completeness review by CalGEM District staff
  • In-depth technical review by CalGEM District staff
  • ​​California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) assessment​
  • Final Determination

​Permit Type​
​Definition

​​​​Abandon​​​​​​

​Permanently plug and seal a well.

​Re-abandon

​Re-plug and seal a well.

​Rework

​Re-enter a well for secondary activities.

​Deepen

Drill to extend the depth of a well.

​New drill

​Drill a new well hole in the earth.

​Sidetrack

​​Cement ​a portion of the original well path and extend a new path from the uncemented portion.


Useful Links

Underground Injection Control

Well Stimulation Treatment​​​​​

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)​

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