Members of the N.C. Oil and Gas Commission will hold their first meeting in Raleigh on Wednesday to swear-in new members and become familiar with their responsibilities for adopting rules on oil and gas exploration in North Carolina.
Wednesday’s orientation meeting of the Oil and Gas Commission will be from 1-4 p.m. in the Ground Floor Hearing Room of the Archdale Building, 512 North Salisbury St., Raleigh.
Among its duties, the commission has the authority to regulate the spacing of wells for oil and gas exploration, establish areas where oil and gas drilling can occur, and limit the production of oil and gas exploration. The commission is required to submit annual progress reports to the Joint Legislative Commission on Energy Policy and the Environmental Review Commission. Employees with the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality will serve as staff to the commission and enforce rules the commission adopts.
During Wednesday’s meeting, commission members will be introduced and will be instructed about their responsibilities for holding open public meetings, maintaining written records for commission-related business in compliance with the state’s public records law, and administering the Oil and Gas Conservation Act. The commission will also elect a chairperson and a vice chairperson. See an agenda for Wednesday’s meeting.
The state Oil and Gas Commission and a reconstituted Mining Commission were created to carry out the regulatory responsibilities of the former state Mining and Energy Commission. The General Assembly eliminated the Mining and Energy Commission after the commission had adopted rules that govern oil and gas exploration and development in North Carolina.
The Oil and Gas Commission has nine seats. A total of four members are appointed by leaders in each chamber of the General Assembly. The remaining five members are appointed by the governor. Members serve for four years.