The Arizona Oil & Gas Conservation Commission issued 77 drilling permits in FY2011 – 74 for potash coreholes and 3 for CO2 development wells. This was exceeded once before when ~90 shallow geothermal gradient holes (only a couple hundred feet depth) were drilled a couple of decades ago. [right, potash coring near Holbrook. Credit, Passport Potash]
The Commissioners are appointed by the Governor and serve without pay. AZGS provides all the technical and administrative support for the Commission, as it does not have any staff of its own.
The Commission permits potash core holes because they penetrate potential oil, gas, and helium zones, which are regulated.