The State Lands Commission has finished abandoning two more legacy oil wells on the Summerland coast.
These leaking wells in the intertidal zone were remnants of oil development in the 1800s and early 1900s. Summerland had the first offshore oil field in the world.
“During this period, the California coastline contained hundreds of oil and gas wells with associated infrastructure, most of which were abandoned when regulatory oversight was nonexistent. There are no historical records detailing the drilling, production, or the original abandonment of these two wells,” commission officials said.
The state has capped and abandoned several other wells in the area.
“The condition of Well A and Well B was unknown until 2023, when heavy storms eroded the beach and exposed them,” commission staff said in a statement Tuesday. “Upon discovery, both wells were observed to be leaking crude oil and classified as falling short of health, safety, and environmental protection requirements.”
The state hired contractor 2H Offshore to abandon these two wells, and the work started in late February. It cost $1.2 million.
“The process involved excavating the wells during low tide, installing a 30-inch pipe pile over each well, filling the pile with cement to the surface, and sealing it permanently with a welded surface plate. The project was completed in four days” the commission said.
Local nonprofit Heal the Ocean has done monitoring of the leaking Summerland wells and advocated for state money to cap them.
The Senate Bill 44 program, authored by former state Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson of Santa Barbara, funds monitoring and removal efforts for legacy oil and gas wells and coastal hazards.
The commission has re-abandoned six wells in Summerland as part of this program.
“California’s beautiful, world-renowned coastline is among our most treasured assets and endemic to our identity,” Lieutenant Governor and State Lands Commission Chair Eleni Kounalakis said in a statement.
“As chair of the State Lands Commission, we are committed to safeguarding our beaches, protecting marine ecosystems, and ensuring that communities like Santa Barbara are safe from the harmful impacts of legacy oil wells. By permanently sealing these leaking wells, we are taking concrete action to uphold our state’s commitment to a clean energy future.”