Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission - Form 3 - Surface - Rule 703 Bond
Overview
Colorado oil and gas operators working on surface disturbance activities need this bond before the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) will approve their Form 3 application. Rule 703 requires financial assurance that you will restore any land surface disturbed by drilling, production, or related operations — and that you will cover the cost of cleanup or reclamation if you don't. This is not a general contractor bond or a license bond — it is a site-specific environmental guarantee filed directly with the COGCC. Failing to carry it means no approved Form 3, which means no legal authority to operate in Colorado.
Who Needs This Bond?
If you are an oil and gas operator in Colorado preparing to file a Form 3 Application for Permit to Drill with the COGCC, this bond is a mandatory part of that filing. It applies to operators who will disturb surface land during drilling, workover, or production operations anywhere in the state. Surface owners, agricultural landowners, and the broader public are the protected parties — the bond guarantees that you will reclaim the site and follow COGCC Rule 703 environmental requirements. If your company name appears on the Form 3 as the designated operator, you are the principal responsible for obtaining this bond.
What is this Bond For?
This bond protects Colorado's land surface and the people who own or use it from the costs of unremediated disturbance caused by oil and gas operations. If an operator drills, produces, or abandons a well site and fails to reclaim the land, plug the well properly, or correct environmental violations, the COGCC can draw on the bond to fund that work. Rule 703 sets the specific reclamation and financial assurance standards that your operations must meet — this bond is your financial guarantee that you will meet them. It covers the state's cost of enforcing compliance when an operator walks away or fails to perform required restoration.
When is it Required?
Required at the time you file your Form 3 application with the COGCC — the permit will not be issued without it. Every active operator subject to Rule 703 must maintain continuous bond coverage for the life of the permitted operations, including through plugging and final reclamation. If your bond lapses or is cancelled, your Form 3 authorization is at risk and the COGCC can take enforcement action. Operators adding new well locations or expanding surface disturbance footprint may need to increase their bond amount to satisfy updated COGCC financial assurance thresholds.
Where Does it Apply?
This bond is a statewide Colorado requirement administered by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. It covers any surface disturbance associated with oil and gas operations conducted under a COGCC-issued Form 3 permit anywhere in Colorado. It does not authorize operations in other states and is not transferable across state lines.
How to Buy Online
Click 'Buy This Bond Online' to open the secure surety portal in a new tab and begin your application immediately. You will enter your operator information, COGCC operator number, and the required bond amount as specified by your Form 3 filing requirements. Complete the application online and receive your executed bond document — no agent callback required.
Why Bond Titan?
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