Nevada Legislature: Fee increase for natural gas, oil wells gets broad support

Conservation and business groups are supporting a Nevada bill that would increase registration fees on natural gas and oil wells.

Nevada Division of Minerals chief Richard Perry presented SB44 to the Assembly Natural Resources Committee on Thursday. The measure passed unanimously out of the Senate earlier in April.

Perry said the bill would repeal the state’s flat $200 permit fee on oil and gas wells and would instead set a sliding scale for wells based on depth, location and whether the well uses wastewater injections or fracking.

Perry said the bill was needed because the $200 fee hardly covered a quarter of regulatory costs.

Numerous conservation and drilling groups testified in favor of the bill and said it struck a fair balance. No one testified against the measure.