590383_Group_INNEX_OG

The project involves INNEX California, Inc. conducting drilling operations to construct and produce four new oil wells—KMDU 33-30, KMDU 42-30, KMDU 45-30, and KMDU 53-30—in the Kettleman Middle Dome Oilfield within Kings County, California, on private lands where the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management holds the mineral estate. The total disturbance will amount to 2.77 acres and includes clearing and grading of existing well pads and access roads, installation of power poles and pipelines, and associated drilling activities. The California Department of Conservation’s Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) serves as the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act, while the Bureau of Land Management is the lead under the National Environmental Policy Act. CalGEM has relied on BLM’s approved Finding of No Significant Impact to satisfy CEQA requirements, eliminating the need for a separate Negative Declaration. Permitting authority for the wells rests solely with CalGEM, and all project activities are confined within the scope of the approved environmental review. Work must comply with stringent environmental regulations, including the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, and RCRA—particularly regarding oil and gas production waste under Subtitle D—and must adhere to air quality rules from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and California Air Resources Board. Field operations are subject to seasonal restrictions tied to wildlife breeding cycles, including the burrowing owl and golden eagle nesting seasons, requiring strict avoidance measures. The contractor is responsible for implementing detailed biological and habitat protection protocols, including the establishment of protective buffers around sensitive species habitats such as kit fox dens, burrowing owl burrows, and special-status plants, and must have a certified biologist present during all ground-disturbing activities. Topsoil must be stockpiled and replaced within one year, and all infrastructure, contaminated soils, debris, and non-native materials must be fully removed after operations. Restoration efforts require regrading to match pre-disturbance contours, erosion control on slopes over 30 percent, and re-vegetation using native plant species to restore ecological function and biological soil crust development. Inspection and acceptance occur on-site at the well pads, with administrative acceptance managed by CalGEM in Sacramento. BLM, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife retain independent oversight authority to halt operations and enforce mitigation. No formal contract pricing