OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Energy Resources Board, a small state agency charged with environmental restoration of abandoned and orphaned oil well sites, received a clean bill of health from the state auditor’s office.
Detailed in a nine-page audit released on May 3 by State Auditor & Inspector Cindy Byrd’s office, the OERB’s payroll expenditures were reviewed and approved in line with governmental accountability office standards, the audit reported.
The audit also reported the OERB’s budget – which is by a one-tenth of one percent assessment on the sale of natural gas and oil – stood at $23,156,147 for fiscal year 2022, an increase of more than 100% from the 2021 amount of $11.6 million.
Expenses for the agency in 2022 included $14.6 million for professional services, $2.65 million for assistance and payments to local governments, $559,681 in administrative expenses and $39,635 for property, furniture and equipment.
The audit reported that “one objective related to expenditures was developed as a result of the procedures performed,” but add no other significant risks or findings were identified. The audit reported that the OERB’s internal controls should include documentation as “a necessary part of an effective internal control system and is required to demonstrate design, implementation and operating effectiveness.”
Byrd’s office said the audit covered the OERB’s finances from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022.