Public Notice – Temporary Use of Lookout Park Parking Lot and Finney St.

The California State Lands Commission and its consultant, 2H Offshore California (previously InterAct), will perform well re-abandonment (re-sealing) work on leaking wells, Well A and Well B, which are located on the far West end of Summerland Beach. Well re-abandonment operations are scheduled to begin on February 23 and conclude on March 1, 2025.

Summerland Wells A & B Well Re-Abandonments

What:

Re-abandonment activities are an essential part of the Commission’s efforts to permanently stop the hydrocarbon source from leaking into surrounding waters and onto the beach. The legacy wells date back to the largely unregulated development of the Summerland Oil Field in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Heavy equipment will be used on the beach to complete the re-abandonments, which includes:

1. Excavating to expose the wells.
2. Driving pipe pile over the wells into the impermeable cap rock to encapsulate the old wells.
3. Filling the annular space between the pipe piles and the wells with cement which will act as a primary barrier to migration of hydrocarbons.
4. Welding a steel plate on top of the pipe piles, which acts as a secondary barrier to hydrocarbon migration.

As a precautionary measure, spill response equipment and trained personnel will be staged at Lookout Park parking lot and the parking lot will be closed to the public. A portion of Finney St. near the County beach access road will be used to stage heavy equipment and should be kept clear as heavy equipment will be traveling in the area. Beach access will be prohibited during transportation of heavy equipment to and from the well location during low tide.

When:

Well re-abandonment operations are scheduled to begin on February 23 and conclude on March 1, 2025.

Why:

Though Well A and Well B are no longer in production, they periodically leak small quantities of oil. The wells are roughly 100 years old and must be re-abandoned to prevent ongoing leakage. It is in the best interest of the state, the public, and the environment to seal the wells and keep our beaches clean.