McKITTRICK, Calif. — Chevron marked its drilling restart Friday, Nov. 6, with a tour of an active drilling site in McKittrick and a gathering of local officials.
Since August, Chevron has drilled about 40 new wells, according to reporting by Peter Segall of The Bakersfield Californian. The company is operating one drilling rig in Kern County.
FILE: Oilfields in North Bakersfield. (KBAK/KBFX Photo)
Ray Thavarajah, Chevron’s general manager for the San Joaquin Valley, outlined plans for 138 new wells at the McKittrick oil field, as quoted by the Californian, highlighting the company’s next step.
Thavarajah attributed the restart to a permitting pathway established under Senate Bill 237 and said greater regulatory certainty made investment decisions possible.
Drilling is currently being conducted in western Kern County. Thavarajah also discussed a possible return to drilling at the Kern River oil field near Bakersfield.