GOLETA — There will soon be one or two trucks a day removing oil from the Ellwood Onshore Oil and Gas Processing Facility on Hollister Avenue, between the facility and Highway 101 onramp northbound.
Trucks will transport approximately 3,000 barrels of oil from the Ellwood Onshore Oil and Gas Processing Facility on Hollister Avenue between the facility and the Highway 101 onramp northbound between Saturday and Dec. 11.
The California State Lands Commission has processed limited amounts of oil and gas from Platform Holly that is coming up from between casing strings (steel pipes in the wells) in order to manage pressure within the well.
This stream of oil will continue until the wells on Holly have been completely plugged and abandoned. The oil and gas is treated to remove the toxic hydrogen sulfide from the gas stream and oil.
The amount of oil processed as a result of this routine pressure management is minimal, but has accumulated and been stored in tank vessels, which are near capacity. Now, the commission will transport approximately 3,000 barrels of oil from those vessels and take it by truck to their facilities.
The operation should take about two weeks and will not occur over Thanksgiving weekend.
It may start as soon as Saturday, but should conclude by Dec. 11, barring any delay or unforeseen circumstances.
Contact Sheri Pemberton, the commission’s external affairs officer, at 916-477-0691 or sheri.pemberton@slc.ca.go with any questions.
— Grayce McCormick
