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Utah individual well operator bonds.
From $125.

Before the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining permits you to drill, re-enter or take over a well on fee or privately owned minerals, you furnish a bond under Utah Admin. Code R649-3-1, sized by depth: from $1,500 under 1,000 feet to $60,000 beyond 10,000 feet. Pricing is 5% of the bond amount plus a $25 fee, $125 minimum.

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Filed with the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining on Form 4, payable to the division
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Amount is set by total well depth — four bands from $1,500 to $60,000 per well
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5% of the bond amount plus a $25 fee, $125 minimum — enter your amount and the exact price appears at the application
5% rate$125 minimumInstantissued the moment you paySoft pull onlynever a hard inquiry
Trusted by industry leaders
New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)
Blumenfeld Development Group (BDG)
Capital Development Partners
McKinney Properties
Terra Capital
JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle)
Triple Five Group
The Georgetown Company
New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)
Blumenfeld Development Group (BDG)
Capital Development Partners
McKinney Properties
Terra Capital
JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle)
Triple Five Group
The Georgetown Company
Price

How much does a Utah individual well operator bond cost?

5% of the bond amount plus a $25 fee, from $125. Enter your amount in the calculator for the exact price.

How it works

Three steps. One sitting.

One well, one bond, one sitting. Have the well name, API number and legal description handy — the application asks for all of them:

TODAY · ONLINE

Apply online

Well name, API number, section, township, range and county, plus operator details, the bond amount for your depth band, a term, an effective date, and the mailing address for the wet-ink original. The credit consent authorizes a soft inquiry only.

INSTANTLY

Pay & e-sign

The premium is 5% of the bond amount plus a $25 fee with a $125 minimum, priced at checkout, so the bond issues the moment you pay. Your executed bond and power of attorney generate on the spot.

THEN · BY MAIL

File with the division

The division takes the bond on Form 4 for fee and private-mineral wells, and it needs to be in hand before your permit to drill or change of operator is approved. The original goes to the address you give us.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What the individual well bond guarantees

The obligation is plugging and reclamation. Utah Code 40-6-5(2)(f) directs the Board of Oil, Gas and Mining to require a reasonable performance bond conditioned on the duty to plug each dry or abandoned well, repair each well causing waste or pollution, maintain and restore the well site, and protect the surface owner against unreasonable crop loss, loss of value in existing improvements, and permanent damage to surface land. R649-3-1 makes that bond a precondition of the permit itself, not a follow-up filing.

Amounts are keyed to depth because deeper holes cost more to kill: at least $1,500 for a well of less than 1,000 feet, $15,000 from 1,000 to 3,000 feet, $30,000 from 3,000 to 10,000 feet, and $60,000 beyond 10,000 feet, for each such well on fee or privately owned minerals. If the division reviews your application to drill, re-enter, or change operator and concludes the standard amount will not cover plugging and site restoration, it may require a change in the form or amount — with written findings and a schedule, appealable under R649-10.

Bond liability runs for the duration of drilling, operating and plugging the well and restoring the site, and stays in full force until the division releases it. Release follows a defined sequence: notice that the well has been plugged, landowner affidavits confirming restoration, published newspaper notice, and a 15-day window for written objections. Separately, a well found in violation of the shut-in and temporarily abandoned rule can be re-bonded at actual plugging and site restoration cost — the operator submits an estimate within 30 days and posts within 120 days of approval.

Utah Admin. Code R649-3-1 · Utah Code 40-6-5Utah Admin. Code R649-3-1 requires an owner or operator to furnish a bond to the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining before approval of a permit to drill a new well, re-enter an abandoned well, or assume responsibility as operator of existing wells, on Form 4 for wells located on lands with fee or privately owned minerals. The bond is payable to the division and conditioned on the operator's faithful performance of the duty to plug each dry or abandoned well, repair each well causing waste or pollution, and maintain and restore the well site — the same duties Utah Code 40-6-5(2)(f) directs the board to secure. Individual well amounts are at least $1,500 for a well of less than 1,000 feet, at least $15,000 for more than 1,000 but less than 3,000 feet, at least $30,000 for more than 3,000 but less than 10,000 feet, and at least $60,000 for more than 10,000 feet, for each such well; the blanket alternative is at least $15,000 or $120,000 by the same 1,000-foot line. Bond liability runs for the duration of drilling, operating and plugging and site restoration, and remains in full force until released by the division. Where the division finds coverage insufficient it may require a change in form or amount on written findings, appealable under R649-10, and a well in violation of R649-3-36 may be bonded at actual plugging and site restoration cost. A surety must be rated A- or better in A.M. Best's Key Rating Guide (or FPR 8 or better) and listed in U.S. Treasury Circular 570; surety bonds are noncancellable during their terms except for undrilled wells with the division's prior consent. An operator may petition the board for a variance on notice and hearing for good cause. Confirm your depth band and amount with the division before you buy.

You need this bond if you are

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Filing an application for permit to drill a well on fee or privately owned minerals in Utah
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Re-entering an abandoned well that the division will not permit without fresh security
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Assuming responsibility as operator of an existing well through a change of operator filing
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Re-bonding a shut-in or temporarily abandoned well at the division's direction
After you buy

Claims, renewal, filing, and what sets the price.

If a claim is made

A claim comes from the party the bond protects, the obligee named on the form, when the duty the bond guarantees is not met.

The surety investigates and pays a valid claim, up to the bond amount. You then repay the surety: a surety bond is a guarantee of your performance, not insurance for you.

Renewal and term

The premium covers a one-year term from the effective date you choose.

Renew before the expiry date to keep the bond in force: the license, permit or contract it backs expects continuous coverage.

How to file it

File with the division. The division takes the bond on Form 4 for fee and private-mineral wells, and it needs to be in hand before your permit to drill or change of operator is approved. The original goes to the address you give us.

What sets the price

The premium is 5% of the bond amount plus a $25 fee, $125 minimum: the amount the obligee sets moves the price, not your business profile.

One soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score.

Where a check runs, it decides approval; the rate is the same for everyone approved.

One application, issued at checkout.

These are the actual issuing fields — including the well name, API number and legal description the division needs on Form 4. The credit consent authorizes a soft inquiry only.

Start the application →
FAQ

Common questions.

How much is the Utah individual well operator bond?The premium is 5% of the bond amount you post, plus a $25 fee, with a $125 minimum. Enter the amount for your depth band and the exact price appears at the application — no quote round-trip.
What amount should I enter?The one that matches total well depth under R649-3-1: at least $1,500 for a well under 1,000 feet, $15,000 from 1,000 to 3,000 feet, $30,000 from 3,000 to 10,000 feet, and $60,000 past 10,000 feet. If the division told you a different figure — because it found the standard amount insufficient, or the well is shut-in under R649-3-36 — use the division's number.
Do I pay the full bond amount?No. You pay the premium — 5% of the bond amount plus a $25 fee, $125 minimum. The bond amount is the surety's maximum exposure if the division ends up plugging and restoring behind you; nobody holds your money.
When is the bond released?After the well is plugged and the site restored, on a defined sequence: notice of plugging to the division, landowner affidavits confirming restoration, published newspaper notice, and a 15-day objection window. If no written objection is filed, the division may release liability as an administrative action.
Is there a credit check?Yes: one soft credit pull, never a hard inquiry, and it never affects your score.
Which A-rated carriers underwrite these bonds?Typically Arch Insurance Company (A.M. Best A+) or Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company (A.M. Best A). Which one writes your bond depends on the bond type and your state. The carrier's name and official signature are printed on the bond you receive.
How do I contact Light RFP about this bond?Email insurance@lightrfp.com. It reaches the bond team at Light RFP Risk Management Services LLC (NY DFS License # PC-1978982). Write to us about quotes, applications, bond forms or certificates. We will respond within 24 hours.
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Price and requirements checked on the carrier’s application, . Page updated .

Bond the well before the permit lands.

Enter your depth-band amount, see the exact price, and get the original to the division. Free until issued.

Your premiumfrom $125
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