gumshoe, re: "I just forwarded your question to DOGGR. I'll let you know when I hear back."
I just received the answer to your question from DOGGR ... the answer is YES, a company does have to make a public notice to drill even if it involves a confidential field.
I think we kinda figured that was the case , since we've seen that 'c' designation next to some permits in the past. At least this clarifies that it's not an optional thing for a company.