Land near abandoned oil wells can be safely developed  – San Diego Union-Tribune

The Feb. 21 article published in The San Diego Union-Tribune — “Hundreds of San Diego County schools, parks and care facilities are near potentially dangerous oil wells, data show” — highlights an important concern, as land scarcity and housing demand are driving redevelopment into former oil fields.

However, as we develop land with former oil wells on site, we should not fall for a familiar misconception: confusing proximity with danger. Steps can be taken to mitigate hazards around old oil wells to accommodate redevelopment, unlock property value and support economic development.

In addition, various funding sources are available through multiple federal and state agencies. Senate Bill 1137, enacted in 2022, created health protection zones around homes and other sensitive land uses in areas where idle or abandoned oil wells are present.

The law reflects the fact that California is far more urban today than when many of these wells were drilled. Mitigating any risk to the environment, public health and safety requires technical clarity of when and how the wells were drilled, not just maps showing the location.

The thousands of idle and abandoned oil wells in California are not unregulated. Oversight falls to the California Geologic Energy Management Division, which enforces detailed standards for access to the well, wellbore integrity, and abandonment under state law.

The state can require the well to be “re-abandoned” to modern standards, which are far more stringent than they were decades ago. They emphasize verified cement isolation, groundwater protection, monitoring and testing to confirm long-term integrity. Even in locations with high numbers of abandoned oil wells, a strategic redevelopment project with qualified petroleum engineers or geologists can be successful.

An example is Pacific City in the city of Huntington Beach. The due diligence team reviews historical well records, verifies well locations in the field, assesses vapor and methane conditions, and coordinates closely with regulators and local agencies using a systematic approach.

Where necessary, vapor intrusion mitigation systems are built into the project design and have been proven to prevent toxic chemical vapors from contaminated soil and groundwater from entering buildings, thereby protecting indoor air quality.

Due diligence done early — before construction begins — helps identify potential hazards and addresses them, protecting public health and preventing costs from escalating. It is important not to treat all idle or abandoned oil wells the same. Most publicly available maps from California Geologic Energy Management Division’s Well Finder show the different types of wells and the operator on record.

Many wells remain the responsibility of active oil and gas field operators and are subject to idle well management plans, bonding requirements and escalating plugging obligations under recent legislation.

Others are truly orphaned, with no viable operator remaining. For those wells, California has established a state-run orphan well program, which includes a process for safely plugging and abandoning wells and four funding sources. The sources are:

— $5 million per year from the Oil, Gas and Geothermal Administrative Fund.

— The Hazardous and Idle-Deserted Well Abatement Fund.

— $100 million in California state general fund dollars.

— $25 million from the federal government’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

As reported in the Union-Tribune story, the Center for Biological Diversity highlighted sensitive land-use areas with vulnerable populations where oil and gas wells exist. Public awareness is essential, but the conversation cannot stop at cataloging proximity.

The real challenge is ensuring that regulatory enforcement, redevelopment planning and funding mechanisms are aligned to reduce site-specific risks efficiently. This requires collaboration among regulators, landowners, developers, environmental advocates and local governments.

It requires acknowledging uncertainty where it exists while recognizing the technical frameworks already in place. And it requires moving beyond headlines toward informed decision-making.

The California Geologic Energy Management Division recommends that engaging qualified petroleum professionals — those who understand requirements and California’s regulatory framework — is critical to evaluating legacy wells safely and responsibly.

The opportunity now is to apply those evaluations consistently, transparently and early in the land-use planning process, so communities are protected and urban infill and redevelopment can proceed without unnecessary fear, delay or oversimplification.

Rathmann is senior project manager and geoscientist at SCS Engineers in Long Beach.