It shall be unlawful for any person to:
(a) willfully violate any provision of this chapter, or any rule, regulation or order of the department;
(b) commence operations for the drilling of a well for oil or gas without first obtaining a permit from the department, under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the department;
(c) do any of the following for the purpose of evading or violating this chapter, or any rule, regulation or order of the department; make any false entry or statement in a report required by this chapter or by any rule, regulation of the department or order of the department; make or cause to be made any false entry in any record, account or memorandum, required by this chapter, or by any such rule, regulation or order; omit, or cause to be omitted, from any such record, account or memorandum full, true and correct entries as required by this chapter, or by any such rule, regulation or order; or remove from this State or destroy, mutilate, alter or falsify any such record, account or memorandum;
(d) refuse to attach or install a meter as prescribed by the department pursuant to Section 48-43-30B(1)(m) herein when ordered to do so by the department or in any way to tamper with such meter so as to produce a false or inaccurate reading, or to have any bypass at such a place where the oil or gas can be passed around;
(e) permit through negligence or willfulness any gas or oil well to go wild or to get out of control.
Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or be imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.
HISTORY: 1977 Act No. 179, Part 1, Section 13; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1236.