A. The term "waste", as applied to the production of oil, in addition to its ordinary meaning, shall include economic waste, underground waste, including water encroachment in the oil or gas bearing strata; the use of reservoir energy for oil producing purposes by means or methods that unreasonably interfere with obtaining from the common source of supply the largest ultimate recovery of oil; surface waste and waste incident to the production of oil in excess of transportation or marketing facilities or reasonable market demands. The production of oil in the State of Oklahoma in such manner and under such conditions as to constitute waste, as in Sections 86.1 et seq. of this title defined, is hereby prohibited, and the Corporation Commission shall have authority, and is charged with the duty, to make rules, regulations and orders for the prevention of such waste, and for the protection of all fresh water strata and oil or gas bearing strata encountered in any well drilled for oil or gas.
B. Provided, the Commission shall work in conjunction with the Secretary of Energy and Environment, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and the Department of Environmental Quality to encourage industrial use of water produced in oil and natural gas operations.
Added by Laws 1947, p. 326, § 2, emerg. eff. April 29, 1947. Amended by Laws 2016, c. 124, § 1.