Drilling for Gas or Oil in the Chesapeake Bay or Tidewater Virginia; Hydraulic Fracturing

This is the 2026 edition of the code. This is the current edition. It was last updated Aug 02, 2026. Browse all editions.

This is Article 4 of the Code of Virginia, titled “Drilling for Gas or Oil in the Chesapeake Bay or Tidewater Virginia; Hydraulic Fracturing.” It is part of Chapter 16 “Virginia Gas and Oil Act”, which is part of Subtitle IV “Gas and Oil”, which is part of Title 45.2 “Mines, Minerals, and Energy”. It contains 3 laws.

It’s comprised of the following 3 sections.

§ 45.2-1645	Chesapeake Bay; drilling for gas or oil prohibited
§ 45.2-1646	Tidewater Virginia; drilling for gas or oil prohibited in certain areas
§ 45.2-1647	Hydraulic fracturing; groundwater management area