https://www.bakersfield.com/news/chevron-steaming-operation-spills-barrels-of-oil-near-mckittrick/article_c4850b30-a4e0-11e9-839b-87d356923109.html
Chevron steaming operation spills 13,515 barrels of oil near McKittrick
BY JOHN COX j
July 12, 2019
California regulators have issued a notice of violation against Chevron
and ordered a limited ban on nearby production after a steaming
operation in the Cymric Oil Field produced a pool of oil 250 feet long
and 20 feet wide near McKittrick.
The state's Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources said Friday
the "surface expression" has brought a total of 13,515 barrels of oil
and water, or 567,630 gallons, to the surface during at least three
episodes between May 10 and June 23.
No injuries have been reported and the state said the spill presents no
risk to the public. DOGGR said in a statement the area is remote and the
underlying groundwater has no beneficial use. The spill was reported to
be 3½ miles from McKittrick.
Noisemakers are being used to keep birds and wildlife away from the
spill, the agency said. It said 20 steam-injection wells in the area
have been shut down and nine idle production wells have been activated
in an attempt to reduce pressure that has pushed the oil to the surface.
DOGGR has ordered Chevron to cease all steam injection work within 600
feet of the well. The company ended up halting such activity within a
1,000-foot radius, but the spilling continued.
Surface expressions are prohibited under state regulations but they have
occasionally happened in Kern County. Past instances have resulted from
a process called cyclic steaming, in which steam is injected at high
pressure at shallow depths.
Spills happen when this pressure accidentally spreads beyond intended
targets, causing oil, water, steam and sometimes rocks to shoot from the
ground. Similar but smaller examples of this were a big problem for
Chevron about 10 years ago in the Midway-Sunset field near Taft.
Chevron did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In an attempt to stop the flow of oil to the surface, the company sealed
what it believed to be the problem well, but crude continued to come up.
DOGGR has worked to address surface expressions through regulatory
changes in recent years. This is the first report of a large one in
several years.
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