SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Petroleum sheens on the ocean off a stretch of Southern California coast are consistent with oil from local natural seeps, but abandoned old oil wells may very well be an element, authorities said Saturday.
The sheens have been observed off Santa Barbara County’s Summerland Beach since early this month, and have been investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard and state and native agencies under a unified command.
Lab tests from multiple locations offshore and onshore showed that the petroleum is consistent with oil from the realm’s very energetic natural seeps, a command statement said.
But there are also about 200 “legacy wells” near the beach that were drilled within the late 1800s and early 1900s and weren’t properly abandoned.
The wells are believed to be relatively shallow in comparison with modern wells and that makes their oil nearly unimaginable to tell apart from the oil released by natural seeps, so a number of of those wells may very well be an element, the command said.
Political Cartoons
Extreme weather and tidal activity may be an element. Extraordinary storm surge in recent weeks has eroded large amounts of sand at Summerland Beach.
The State Lands Commission’s Coastal Hazard and Legacy Well Remediation Program will investigate whether a well is discharging petroleum, and crews will proceed to observe the shoreline for impacts, however the unified command will demobilize.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material might not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
