Oil & Gas Well Registrations

How to Guide

To aid in completing oil and gas well registrations, the Department has developed this step-by-step guide.

Questions about well inspections may be addressed to Matt Bingert at 701-328-5192 or email (MBingert@nd.gov).
Questions about well registration may be addressed to Wyatt Peterson at 701-328-5184 or email (Wyatt.Peterson@nd.gov).


An oil/gas production facility registration including an analysis of any gas produced from the well must be submitted to the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality for any and all oil or gas well regardless of pool. This registration form is electronic submittal only through CERIS-ND beginning January 1, 2021.

With the new CERIS-ND Oil and Gas Production Facility Registration form, the Department is moving from an individual wellhead-based registration, to a more streamlined oil and gas production facility focused registration system to better account for emission sources at single and multi-well pad facilities. With this restructure in registrations, the amount of duplicate data entry is greatly reduced and the focus of the registration is on emission sources and emission calculations that better reflect the equipment and operations of these facilities.

There is a $150 fee for each new wellhead that is registered with the Department. Click here for the Department memo explaining the $150 filing fee beginning January 1, 2013.

The registration must be submitted to the Department within 90 days of the completion or re-completion of the well(s).
  1. Any oil and gas well that is/was completed or re-completed on or after July 1, 1987.

  2. Any oil and gas well that has been completed or re-completed prior to July 1, 1987, and that emits 10 tons per year or more of sulfur (all sulfur compounds expressed as sulfur).

  3. The owner or operator of any oil or gas well shall inform the Department of any change to the information contained on the registration form for a particular well and shall submit a new gas analysis if the composition or the volume of the gas produced from the well has changed from the previous analysis to cause an increase of 10 tons per year or more of sulfur (all sulfur compounds expressed as sulfur).


 Access CERIS-ND  

  1. Search for the site BEFORE you make a new site to submit a registration.

    1. If the Site has Submitted a §60.5420a(a)(2)(i) Notification of Well Completion in CERIS-ND, the site exists in CERIS-ND. DO NOT MAKE A NEW SITE— USE THE EXISTING SITE

      • When a NEW site is made (via Air 40 CFR 60.5420a(a)(2)(i) - Notification of Well Completion or Air Oil and Gas Facility Registration - New), only the person who initiated the form is made an Authorized User, all other Company representatives need to be manually given access to the site for them to see it in their dropdown list under their login.

        • Users are authorized PER SITE and users who are already added to CERIS-ND via bulk upload or by invitation to another site(s) will not have access to this new site until they are invited by a site administrator (the person who starts a new site is by default the site administrator).

        • PRO TIP Designate one person in your company to be responsible for managing users in CERIS-ND, including adding and removing users via Bulk access requests, and checking that all NEW sites have all users added as authorized users.


        • PRO TIP To Invite users, select the site from the drop down in CERIS-ND then Authorized Users> Invite User to Join. Any user who is has the Administrator Role in [SITE]> Authorized Users can add other users to the site without needing to contact the Department.


    2. If the Site has not submitted a §60.5420a(a)(2)(i) Notification of Well Completion in CERIS-ND, the SITE does not exist in CERIS-ND and you will have to make a NEW site, go to STEP 2 below.

  2. Start your Oil and Gas Production Facility Registration go to Start a New Form>I wan to start a new application> Air Oil and Gas Facility Registration - New, then select the site you wish to register (for existing sites) or for Sites that are not in CERIS-ND (and you have verfited that no one else in your company has already made this SITE) then select Create New Site and enter the site name under New Site Name, using the format [COMPANY NAME] - [SITE NAME].
    • When making a NEW SITE Include the FULL Site name [COMPANY NAME] - [SITE NAME].

    • If you make a new SITE record in CERIS-ND via the Create New Site, be sure to ADD any Authorized Users to the site once you are done. Please note that Users are authorized PER SITE and users who are already added to CERIS-ND via bulk upload or by invitation to another site(s) will not have access to this new site until they are invited by a site administrator (the person who starts a new site is by default the site administrator).

      • PRO TIP To Invite users, select the site from the drop down in CERIS-ND then Authorized Users> Invite User to Join.

    • PRO TIPIf you are in a Site that already exists in CERIS-ND, if you first select the site before going to Apps, Requests and Reports> Start New Form> All Other Forms> Air Oil and Gas Facility Registration - New, then that site should be auto selected.

 Access CERIS-ND  

  1. Search for the SITE in your dropdown and select that SITE.
  2. You will first have to verify that you are an Authorized User for that site. Any user that has the role "Administrator" (under Authroized Users can add other users to the SITE(s), contact your Company's CERIS-ND Adminstrative Level Users for access.

  3. To modify/admend/add wells the existing Oil & Gas Well Registration: Select that site from the green dropdown list, then go to Start a New Form> I want to renew, modify or terminate an existing permit, license or registration> Air Oil and Gas Facility Registration - Modification> Click the "Begin" button.

    • NDDEQ migrated pre-January 2021 facilites into CERIS-ND using NDIC data, as such they have an OGR "permit" but since there was no Air Oil and Gas Facility Registration - New submitted, there will not be any pre-populated data in the form.

    • Note that each existing Oil & Gas Production Facilty site in CERIS-ND has an OGR "permit". This is to allow the attachment of reporting and notifcation forms called Schedules.

    • Also note that we have not imported any historic pre-2021 paper registrations in to CERIS-ND (as of yet), to see the historic files, please subimt an Open Records Request.


Section A contains fields about the owner and other contact information.


Section B contains fields about the facility name and location of the production (non-wellhead) equipment.


Section C contains fields about the wellheads, including:

  • NDIC Permit Number
  • API Well Number
  • Well Status [used to calculate fee]
  • Well Name
  • Producing Pool
  • First Date of Production (new or recompleted)
  • Lat./Long.
  • PLSS location

Section D contains fields about the applicable state and federal regulations the oil and gas production facility is subject to, and Potential to Emit, along with any production or throughput limits the facility is requesting.


Section E contains fields related to emission calculations.

  • Production Rate - Oil
  • Production Rate - Produced Water
  • Production Rate - Gas
  • Pipeline Gas Sales (if yes company)
  • Pipeline Crude Sales (if yes company)
  • Pipeline Produced Water Sales (if yes company)
  • Produced Gas Flare/Combustor DRE approvals (if yes, model and attach Department approval letter)
  • Process Simulation File Upload OR table to list Equipment and operating parameters (used to determine process emissions)

Section F contains fields related to emission calculations, specifically the high pressure gas analysis.

  • Sample site
  • Sample ID
  • Sample Method
  • Sample Date
  • Analysis Method
  • Analysis Date
  • Average Gas Molecular Weight
  • Higher Heating Value (HHV) in BTU/scf @ 14.73 PSIA
  • Lower Heating Value (LHV) in BTU/scf @ 14.73 PSIA
  • % Weight Total VOC (non-methane, non-ethane)
  • Dry or Wet Gas Analysis
  • Is this a dry gas analysis?
  • Gas Component Results (Methane, Ethane, Propane, Combined Butanes, 5+ Carbons, H2S)
  • Attach Certified Lab Analysis - Example of a Gas Analysis

Section G contains fields related to emission calculations, specifically the low pressure gas analysis.

  • Process Simulation
  • OR
    • Sample site
    • Sample ID
    • Sample Method
    • Sample Date
    • Analysis Method
    • Analysis Date
    • Average Gas Molecular Weight
    • Higher Heating Value (HHV) in BTU/scf @ 14.73 PSIA
    • Lower Heating Value (LHV) in BTU/scf @ 14.73 PSIA
    • % Weight Total VOC (non-methane, non-ethane)
    • Dry or Wet Gas Analysis
    • Is this a dry gas analysis?
    • Attach Certified Lab Analysis - Example of a Gas Analysis
  • Flash Gas to Oil Ratio (FGOR)
  • Gas Component Results (Methane, Ethane, Propane, Combined Butanes, 5+ Carbons, H2S)

Section H contains fields related to emission calculations, specifically the low pressure gas analysis.

  • API Gravity @ 60F
  • True Vapor Pressure @ 100F, PSIA
  • Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP)

Section I contains a file upload field where any additional information can be submitted, including, but not limited to:

  • Emission Spreadsheets
  • Maps
  • Process Flow Diagrams
  • Spec sheets
  • Narratives or other supporting documentation

Section J contains fields related to Title V Permit to Operate (PTO) applications. The Department has added the ability to submit an upstream oil and gas production facility Title V permit to operate application when the site is updated. Title V PTO forms can be obtained on our forms page: Forms.

You may also submit a request to rescind a previously submitted Title V PTO application if the site has fallen under the 100 tpy of criteria pollutants or 10 tpy of a single HAP or 25 tpy of combined HAPs.


Section K contains fields related to Permit to Construct (PTC) applications. The Department has added the ability to submit an upstream oil and gas production facility permit to construct application when the site is updated. PTC forms can be obtained on our forms page: Forms.

When you submit a PTC application the $325 PTC filing fee will be added to any oil and gas well registration fees.


Due to the unique properties of the Bakken, Three Forks, and Sanish formations, the Department has developed special guidelines and regulations related to the air quality requirements of facilities producing and processing oil and gas from these formations. Many of these documents apply to other non-Bakken, Three Forks, or Sanish wells.

Click to Expand

Document Name

Rev. Date

Doc Type

Testing Requirements for Non-Emergency Engines (RICE) Located at Minor Source Oil and Gas Facilities 09 June 2021 Policy
Compliance Alert – Air Emissions from Onshore Oil and Natural Gas Production Facilities 05 October 2020 Policy
Memo to Operators About Guidance Document 02 May 2011 Policy
Oil and Gas Production Facilities Guidance (aka Bakken Guidance) 02 May 2011 Policy
Examples of Gas Analysis 05-15 Form-Example
Regulation Summary 01-13 Policy
Bakken Pool Oil & Gas Guidance Policy Method 22 Clarification 10 October 2011 Policy
NDDoH Clarification of VOC Emission Responsibilities for Oil & Gas Facilities Producing Prior to June 1, 2011 07-11 Policy
Air Pollution Control Equipment Operations (August) 20 August 2012 Policy
Air Pollution Control Equipment Operations (October) 19 October 2012 Policy
Storage Vessels at Oil & Gas Non-Production Facilities 27 May 2015 Policy
Storage Vessel Guidance 09 October 2013 Policy
ND Storage Vessel Registration Cover Letter (.docx ) 09 October 2013 Policy
ND Spreadsheet for Storage Vessel Guidance (.xlsx ) 09 October 2013 Policy
Memo & EPA Compliance Alert forAir Emissions at Oil and Gas Production Storage Vessels 19 October 2015 Policy
Compliance Requirements for Condensate Truck Loadout Emissions 03 February 2020 Policy
High Efficiency Program Specifically Applies to Flares (Steffes, LLC) For Midstream Facilities 15 March 2021 Oil &Gas
High Efficiency Program Specifically Applies to Flares (Steffes, LLC) For Upstream Production Facilities 15 March 2021 Oil &Gas
High Efficiency Program Specifically Applies to Combustors For Upstream Production Facilities 18 March 2021 Oil &Gas
High Efficiency Program Specifically Applies to Flares (Steffes, LLC) For Upstream Production Facilities 13 January 2022 Oil &Gas
Control of Storage Tanks at Shut-In Upstream Production Facilities 23 August 2021 Oil &Gas

Oil and Gas Production Facility Registrations must be submitted through CERIS-ND for new and modified Oil and Gas Production Sites.

 Access CERIS-ND

Required Oil and Gas Production Facility Registrations must be submitted to the Department within 90 days of first production using CERIS-ND. Failure to submit a complete Oil and Gas Production Facility Registration — Modification form for a new or re-completed well (search by API well or NDIC Permit number), within the 90 days, may be subject to enforcement action.



Last Updated: 06/15/2022