California oil patch regulators on Friday denied 21 hydraulic fracturing (fracking) permits requested by Aera Energy, a unit of Shell Oil Co. and ExxonMobil.

BLM California

The decision to deny the well stimulation treatment (WST) permits by the California Geologic Engineering Management (CalGEM) division coincided with a draft released to ban fracking beginning in 2024.

Since Gov. Gavin Newsom directed CalGEM to develop a rulemaking to ban all well stimulation permit approval by 2024, activists have urged a moratorium on new permit approvals. The rulemaking is scheduled to conclude in 2023.   

To date this year, CalGEM has approved a dozen WST permits and denied 21, according to spokesperson Jacob Roper. Last year, CalGEM issued 83 WST permits and denied 57.

CalGEM said oil and gas...