State officials have announced that all 30 wells at the offshore oil facility known as Platform Holly will officially be sealed by next week.
The California State Lands Commission heard an update Thursday about the work being done to decommission the structure. The meeting was held at Goleta’s City Hall.
Joe Fabel, an attorney for the Commission, said all oil and gas wells on the platform will be sealed and permanently abandoned by Sept. 3. The platform is located 2 miles off the Goleta coast, and it produced oil and gas for decades.
“This is historic for multiple reasons, but one of the key ones is they make up the last overwater production wells in State waters of the Santa Barbara Channel,” Fabel said.
“And that goes back from the original wells that were spudded off Summerland in the late 19th century.”
The decommissioning of Platform Holly is part of the South Ellwood Project, which began after the former operators abandoned the site.
The next step for the Commission is to “harden” the platform, which will remove all heavy machinery, fuels, chemicals, and other sources of spill risks. The platform will be disconnected from the power sources and have solar panels installed.
The remaining power will be used to operate security systems and monitoring devices.
The Commission will then begin an environmental review before beginning the final step of fully decommissioning Platform Holly.
The Commission will then begin an environmental review before beginning the final steps of decommissioning the platform, and deciding how much infrastructure to remove.
The abandoned leases included Platform Holly, two oil piers, and the Ellwood Onshore Facility. Ownership of the platform and piers reverted to the State Lands Commission, which took over operations and safety at the wells.
According to Fabel, the goal of the decommissioning project was to safely operate the sites to avoid a buildup of hydrogen sulfide, maintain the structures, and seal wells for abandonment.
The state also managed a project to seal and abandon wells at piers on Haskell’s Beach.
The Ellwood Onshore Facility was on private land and not under the jurisdiction of the State Lands Commission. Fabel said the property was returned to Venoco LLC in better condition than when the Commission first received it.
Malia M. Cohen, the chair of the Commission, asked whether the Platform Holly project was still on budget after the most recent work.
Jennifer Lucchesi, the executive officer for the Commission, confirmed that the project is currently operating within its budget and will receive more funding to complete the project in the future.
She also stated that decommissioning Platform Holly is being done at the expense of ExxonMobil, as the former leaseholder and operator of the facilities.
“And through that phase two agreement they have agreed to pay for the entire decommissioning of Platform Holly and its infrastructure consistent with what the Commission decides,” she said.
Cohen called Platform Holly an example of the Commission’s commitment to a cleaner state and renewable energy.
“This is a good example of government following its word and making good on it,” Cohen said.
Future of Rincon Island
The Commission also approved the final environmental impact report for Rincon Island and announced a commitment to work toward a shared stewardship of the facility.
The island was built in 1959 and sits about 3,000 feet off the shore of Punta Gorda in Ventura County. The location was used for oil and gas production but ceased operations in 2008 due to damage to the causeway.
After a series of safety violations, the Commission voted to terminate the facility’s lease. The decommissioning of Rincon Island began in 2021.
The proposed project will remove structures from the island, remove contaminated soil, and decommission onshore pipe connections.
The State Lands Commission is pursuing a co-management framework with the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation. The partnership will be part of the 30×30 Initiative, which aims to conserve 30% of the state’s land and coastal water by 2030.
“Having an opportunity to access our sacred lands supports our efforts of cultural revitalization, restores our historical practices, and reinforces our tribal sustainability and sovereignty,” said Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation Chair Gabriel Frausto in a statement. “It is an honor to continue to work with state and local agencies on this endeavor, creating a model of community for future generations.”
