California's governor is poised to sign landmark legislation into law that would require oil and gas operators to adhere to new permitting, disclosure and monitoring rules. The overhaul is expected to create more red tape for energy development in the Monterey and Santos shale formations. The bill also comes as other political hurdles have emerged this year, including a standstill in federal oil and gas leases in the state, and lawsuits from environmental groups disputing state and federalleasing(NGWMay20'13). Under the legislation, operators would need to obtain a new category of permits before they use hydraulic fracturing, which involves pumping a mixture of water, sand and chemicals underground to allow hydrocarbons to loosen and flow more freely into the wellbore.
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