Oil and gas operations offshore California: status, risks, and safety

Abstract

Offshore oil operations in California are conducted from 23 platforms in Federal waters (> 5 km from shore) and 10 platforms and related
facilities in State waters (< 5 km), distributed over an area of about 20,000 km² along the southern coast of the state. In 2000, approximately
36 million barrels (bbl) of oil were produced from Federal waters, all of which was transmitted to shore by pipeline. In comparison,
approximately 260 million bbl of crude oil and distillates (e.g., gasoline) are transported by tanker along the California coast each year. The
largest oil spill from offshore oil operations in California was the 1969 80,000-bbl Santa Barbara spill, which resulted in the loss of
thousands of birds. This spill was a pivotal event for both the environmental movement in the U.S.A. and for offshore oil safety. After 1969,
the rules and regulations governing offshore oil were rewritten and new rules were developed. Since 1969, only one spill from oil and gas
operations offshore California has resulted in documented seabird mortality, the 163-bbl Platform Irene pipeline spill off Point Arguello in
1997, which resulted in the loss of more than 700 birds. Only a few small spills have occurred since 1969. However, based on the amount
of offshore oil expected to be produced in California over the next 28 years and the number of spills that have occurred in the past, the risk
of a spill of 1,000 bbl or greater occurring during that period is estimated at 41.2 percent for Federal operations and 8.4 percent for State
operations (reflecting the much smaller volume of oil produced and transported in State waters).