Plains All American Pipeline LP said May 20 that cleanup operations continue at the site of a crude oil spill from a company pipeline in Santa Barbara County, Calif. Oil leaked from the pipeline carrying it from Las Flores, Calif., to Gaviota, Calif., that day. The oil reached a culvert leading to the Pacific Ocean. The spill is on Refugio Beach near the city of Santa Barbara.
The Unified Command—the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Santa Barbara Office of Emergency Management—is cleaning up the site. Plains is working closely with the Unified Command.
Vacuum trucks are removing product and water from oil containment areas. About 3,000 feet of containment boom has been deployed.
Contractors are removing contained pockets of oil with skimmers, vacuum trucks, absorbent pads and absorbent boom. Additional cleanup efforts are going on in beaches throughout the affected area.
An active area-sampling plan, to identify areas impacted as a result of the oil spill, is underway. In the affected area, 24-hour ambient air testing is underway.
Commercial aircraft, commercial vessels and federal vessels are conducting continued assessments.
El Capitan Beach is closed to the public by California State Parks for the next seven days, until Thursday May 28. State Parks will continually monitor the cleanup effort to determine if the beach closure should be extended.
A fishing ban was established by the Department of Fish and Wildlife until data reflects that the fish are safe to eat. The closure is initiated from one mile east to one mile west of Refugio State Beach and a distance of one-half a mile offshore.
Both shoulders of the north- and southbound Highway 101 have been closed to all parking and traffic.
The direct contact for the Joint information Center is (805) 696-1188.
For individuals who want to file a claim for compensation, contact (866) 753-3619.
For individuals who come across affected wildlife, contact the Oil Wildlife Care Network at 877-823-6926.
Houston-based Plains All American Pipeline LP will provide updates as they become available. Updates will be available on www.plainsupdate.com and 866-753-3619 is an available claims and information number.
Recommended Reading
Tech Trends: SLB's Autonomous Tech Used for Drilling Operations
2024-02-06 - SLB says autonomous drilling operations increased ROP at a deepwater field offshore Brazil by 60% over the course of a five-well program.
E&P Highlights: March 4, 2024
2024-03-04 - Here’s a roundup of the latest E&P headlines, including a reserves update and new contract awards.
NAPE: Turning Orphan Wells From a Hot Mess Into a Hot Opportunity
2024-02-09 - Certain orphaned wells across the U.S. could be plugged to earn carbon credits.
Rystad: More Deepwater Wells to be Drilled in 2024
2024-02-29 - Upstream majors dive into deeper and frontier waters while exploration budgets for 2024 remain flat.
E&P Highlights: April 1, 2024
2024-04-01 - Here’s a roundup of the latest E&P headlines, including new contract awards.